Age-related differences in the dynamics of the skin blood flow oscillations during postocclusive reactive hyperemia

• Published in: Human physiology 2010-03, Vol.36 (2), p.222-228
• Main Authors: Tikhonova, I. V, Tankanag, A. V, Chemeris, N. K
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Biomedical and Life Sciences; Biomedicine; blood flow oscillations; Human Physiology; laser Doppler flowmetry; Life Sciences; postocclusive reactive hyperemia; skin blood flow; time-amplitude analysis
• ISSN: 0362-1197; 1608-3164
• DOI: 10.1134/S0362119710020143

Age-related changes in peripheral microcirculation were studied using laser Doppler flowmetry in 60 apparently healthy subjects. The response of microcirculation to short-term ischemia was studied using the occlusion test. Changes in the amplitude of the peripheral blood flow oscillations were determined using time-amplitude analysis based on continuous adaptive wavelet filtration. The oscillation amplitude in the frequency range of the heart rate was found to reach the maximum with a delay after the removal of the occlusion, whereas in the range of the respiratory rhythm, no delay was observed. The hyperemic response to short-term ischemia is assumed to develop under the predominant influence of the arterial-arteriolar component, whereas the dynamics of amplitude oscillations in the range of the respiratory rhythm is a result of the devastation of the venular component after removal of occlusion. In response to short-term ischemia, the maximum oscillation amplitudes of myogenic, neurogenic, and endothelial rhythms decreased with age, which demonstrates the restriction of the regulatory control of the peripheral blood flow by the corresponding systems.