Neurovascular coupling in severe aortic valve stenosis

Ovsenik, Ana (author), Podbregar, Matej (author), Lakič, Nikola (author), Brešar, Martin (author), Boškoski, Pavle (author), Verdenik, Ivan (author), Fabjan, Andrej (author)

Objectives: Aortic stenosis (AS) is characterized by obstruction of blood outflow from the left ventricle, which can impair target organ perfusion such as the brain. We hypothesized that hemodynamic changes in AS may lead to dysfunction of cerebral blood flow regulatory mechanisms. The aim of our study was to evaluate neurovascular coupling in patients with AS by Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Methods: Neurovascular coupling was assessed using visually evoked cerebral blood flow velocity responses (VEFR) calculated as relative blood flow velocity changes in the posterior cerebral artery upon visual stimulation. We analyzed peak systolic, mean and end diastolic VEFR in 54 patients with severe AS and 43 controls in 10 consecutive cycles of visual stimulation. Repeated-measures ANOVA test was used to compare cerebral hemodynamic data by group. Results: Patients with AS had significantly higher peak systolic (12.9% ± 5.6% and 10.5% ± 4.5%; p = .009) and mean VEFR (14.4% ± 5.8% and 12.2% ± 4.9%; p = .021) compared to controls, whereas only a tendency for higher end diastolic VEFR was observed (16.7% ± 6.9% and 14.4% ± 6.2%; p = .061). Conclusion: We have shown for the first time that patients with severe AS exhibit higher VEFR than controls indicating dysregulation of neurovascular coupling, which can be one of the factors contributing to development of cognitive decline.

• Language: English
• Keywords: aortic stenosis, cerebral blood flow, neurovascular coupling, transcranial Doppler
• Work type: Article
• Typology: 1.01 - Original Scientific Article
• Organization: MF - Faculty of Medicine
• Publication status: Published
• Publication version: Version of Record
• Year: 2023
• Number of pages: 9 str.
• Numbering: Vol. 13, iss. 8, art. e3155
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-185508
• UDC: 616.8:616.2
• ISSN on article: 2162-3279
• DOI: 10.1002/brb3.3155
• COBISS.SI-ID: 161281283
• Publication date in RUL: 11.08.2026

Record is a part of a journal

• Title: Brain and behavior
• Publisher: Wiley
• ISSN: 2162-3279
• COBISS.SI-ID: 519092249

Licences

• License: CC BY 4.0, Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International
• Link: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
• Description: This is the standard Creative Commons license that gives others maximum freedom to do what they want with the work as long as they credit the author.

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Keywords: stenoza aorte, cerebralni pretok krvi, nevrovaskularno spajanje, transkranialni Doppler

Projects

• Funder: ARIS - Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency
• Project number: P3-0019
• Name: Aplikativna in bazična fiziologija in patofiziologija v medicini