Skip to main content
Log in

Redistribution of blood flow in the cerebral cortex of normal subjects during head-up postural change

  • Research Paper
  • Published:
Clinical Autonomic Research Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Regional cerebral blood flow was measured in 21 normotensive subjects during supine rest and during head-up tilt to 70°. The results showed significant and consistent regional cerebral blood flow changes in the frontal areas with lower relative flow distribution values (percentage of mean flow) during head-up tilt than during supine rest. The lower frontal flow distribution values during tilt were not related to habituation, to repeated measurements, or to the estimated level of arterial CO2 which was derived from expired end-tidal CO2 levels. None of the subjects had orthostatic hypotension and there was no significant difference in mean hemispheric blood flow between lying down and standing up. There was no significant gender difference in regional cerebral blood flow, although female subjects tended to have higher mean hemispheric flow than males in both postures. It remains to be established whether the flow decreases in the frontal cortex are caused by cerebral functional factors or by haemodynamic mechanisms.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Lassen NA. Cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption in man.Physiol Rev 1959;39: 183–238.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Paulson OB, Strandgaard S, Edvinsson L. Cerebral autoregulation.Cerebrovasc Brain Metabol Rev 1990;2: 161–192.

    Google Scholar 

  3. Skinhöj E, Strandgaard S. Pathogenesis of hypertensive encephalopathy.Lancet 1973;1: 461–462.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Strandgaard S, Olesen J, Skinhöj E, Lassen NA. Autoregulation of brain circulation in severe arterial hypertension.Br Med J 1973;3: 507–510.

    Google Scholar 

  5. McHenry JLC, West JW, Cooper ES, Goldberg HI, Jaffe ME. Cerebral autoregulation in man.Stroke 1974;5: 695–705.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Strandgaard S, MacKenzie ET, Sengupta D, Rowan JO, Lassen NA, Harper AM. Upper limit of autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in the baboon.Circ Res 1974;34: 435–440.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Strandgaard S. Autoregulation of cerebral circulation in hypertension.Acta Neurol Scand 1978;57 (suppl 66): 1–82.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Strandgaard S. Autoregulation of cerebral blood flow in hypertensive patients. The modifying influence of prolonged antihypertensive treatment on the tolerance to acute, drug-induced hypotension.Circulation 1976;53: 720–727.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Oldfield RC. The assessment and analysis of handedness. The Edinburgh Handedness Inventory.Neuropsychologia 1971;9: 97–113.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Obrist WD, Thompson HK, Wang HS, Wilkinson WE. Regional cerebral blood flow estimated by 133-xenon inhalation.Stroke 1975;6: 245–256.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Risberg J, Ali Z, Wilson EM, Wills EL, Halsey JH. Regional cerebral blood flow by 133-xenon inhalation.Stroke 1975;6: 142–148.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Risberg J. Regional cerebral blood flow measurements by 133-xenon inhalation: methodology and applications in neuropsychology and psychiatry.Brain Lang 1980;9: 9–34.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  13. Maximilian VA, Prohovnik I, Risberg J. Cerebral hemodynamic response to mental activation in normo and hypercapnia.Stroke 1980;11: 342–347.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Ingvar DH. Hyperfrontal distribution of the cerebral grey matter flow in resting wakefulness: on the functional anatomy of the conscious state.Acta Neurol Scand 1979;60: 12–25.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Rodriguez G, Warkentin S, Risberg J, Rosadini G. Sex differences in regional cerebral blood flow.J Cereb Blood Flow Metabol 1988;8: 783–789.

    Google Scholar 

  16. Prohovnik I, Håkansson K, Risberg J. Observations on the functional significance of regional cerebral blood flow in ‘resting’ normal subjects.Neuropsychologia 1980;18: 203–217.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Lassen NA, Roland PE, Larsen B, Melamed E, Soh K. Mapping of human cerebral functions: a study of the regional cerebral blood flow pattern during rest, its reproducibility and the activation seen during sensory and motor functions.Acta Neurol Scand 1977;56 (suppl): 262–263.

    Google Scholar 

  18. Risberg J. Regional cerebral blood flow measurements with high temporal and spatial resolution. In: Ottosson D, ed.Visualization of Brain Functions. London: Wenner-Gren International Symposium Series, MacMillan, 1989; 153–158.

    Google Scholar 

  19. Brooks DJ, Redmond S, Mathias CJ, Bannister R, Symon L. The effect of orthostatic hypotension on cerebral blood flow and middle cerebral artery velocity in autonomic failure, with observations on the action of ephedrine.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1989;52: 962–966.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Matsubara S, Sawa Y, Yokoji H, Takamori M. Shy—Drager syndrome. effect of fludrocortisone and L-threo-3,4,-dihydroxiphenylserine on the blood pressure and regional cerebral blood flow.J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry 1990;53: 994–997.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Bannister R, Mathias CJ. Testing autonomic reflexes. In: Bannister R, ed.Autonomic Failure. A Textbook of disorders of the autonomic nervous system. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1988; 289–307.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Warkentin, S., Passant, U., Minthon, L. et al. Redistribution of blood flow in the cerebral cortex of normal subjects during head-up postural change. Clinical Autonomic Research 2, 119–124 (1992). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01819667

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01819667

Key words

Navigation