Cold face test in persons with spinal cord injury: age versus inactivity

• Published in: Clinical autonomic research 2009-08, Vol.19 (4), p.221-229
• Main Authors: Wecht, Jill M., Weir, Joseph P., DeMeersman, Ronald E., Schilero, Gregory J., Handrakis, John P., LaFountaine, Michael F., Cirnigliaro, Christopher M., Kirshblum, Steven C., Bauman, William A.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Adult; Age Factors; Blood Pressure - physiology; Bradycardia - physiopathology; Cardiology; Cardiovascular Abnormalities - physiopathology; Diabetes; Endocrinology; Exercise - physiology; Face - physiology; Gastroenterology; Heart Rate - physiology; Humans; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Middle Aged; Neurology; Ophthalmology; Research Article; Spinal Cord Injuries - physiopathology; Vagus Nerve - physiopathology; Vagus Nerve Stimulation; Young Adult
• ISSN: 0959-9851; 1619-1560
• DOI: 10.1007/s10286-009-0009-2

Introduction Persons with spinal cord injury (SCI) reflect a model of precocious aging and inactivity; as such, these individuals manifest well-appreciated cardiovascular abnormalities. We aimed to determine the influence of inactivity in persons with SCI, and the influence of age in healthy controls, on cardiovascular autonomic responses to the cold face test (CFT). Methods Subjects recruited ( n  = 42) included 18 controls: 10 young (25 ± 2 years) and 8 old (50 ± 6 years), and 24 subjects with chronic SCI: 17 with tetraplegia (C3–C8 44 ± 7 years) and 7 with paraplegia (T5–T10 36 ± 8 years). Heart rate (HR) and blood pressure were collected continuously: 2-min pre-CFT, 1-min CFT and 2-min post-CFT. Time–frequency (wavelet) analysis of HR (HFln) was used as an estimate of vagal cardiac modulation. Results The HR response to the CFT differed significantly among the SCI group (4.1 ± 8.8 bpm) and the young (−7.7 ± 5.9 bpm; P