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Increased cognitive workload evokes greater neurovascular coupling responses in healthy young adults.

ABSTRACT: Understanding how the brain allocates resources to match the demands of active neurons under physiological conditions is critically important. Increased metabolic demands of active brain regions are matched with hemodynamic responses known as neurovascular coupling (NVC). Several methods that allow noninvasive assessment of brain activity in humans detect NVC and early detection of NVC impairment may serve as an early marker of cognitive impairment. Therefore, non-invasive NVC assessments may serve as a valuable tool to detect early signs of cognitive impairment and dementia. Working memory tasks are routinely employed in the evaluation of cognitive task-evoked NVC responses. However, recent attempts that utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) or transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) while using a similar working memory paradigm did not provide convincing evidence for the correlation of the hemodynamic variables measured by these two methods. In the current study, we aimed to compare fNIRS and TCD in their performance of differentiating NVC responses evoked by different levels of working memory workload during the same working memory task used as cognitive stimulation. Fourteen healthy young individuals were recruited for this study and performed an n-back cognitive test during TCD and fNIRS monitoring. During TCD monitoring, the middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow was bilaterally increased during the task associated with greater cognitive effort. fNIRS also detected significantly increased activation during a more challenging task in the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC), and in addition, widespread activation of the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) was also revealed. Robust changes in prefrontal cortex hemodynamics may explain the profound change in MCA blood flow during the same cognitive task. Overall, our data support our hypothesis that both TCD and fNIRS methods can discriminate NVC evoked by higher demand tasks compared to baseline or lower demand tasks.

SUBMITTER: Csipo T

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8133445 | biostudies-literature |

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Project description:BackgroundThe interactions between large artery function and neurovascular coupling (NVC) are emerging as important contributors to cognitive health. Women are disproportionally affected by Alzheimer's disease and related dementia later in life. Understanding large artery correlates of NVC in young women may help with preservation of cognitive health with advancing age.PurposeTo explore the association between large artery function, NVC and cognitive performance in young women.MethodsVascular measurements were made in 61 women (21 ± 4 yrs) at rest and during a cognitive challenge (Stroop task). Transcranial Doppler was used to measure left middle cerebral artery (MCA) maximum velocity (Vmax), mean velocity (Vmean), and pulsatility index (PI). NVC was determined as MCA blood velocity reactivity to the Stroop task. Large artery function was determined using carotid-femoral pulse wave velocity (cfPWV) as a proxy measure of aortic stiffness and carotid ultrasound-derived measures of compliance and reactivity (diameter change to the Stroop task). Cognitive function was assessed separately using a computerized neurocognitive battery that included appraisal of response speed, executive function, information processing efficiency, memory, attention/concentration, and impulsivity.ResultsMCA Vmax reactivity was positively associated with executive function (β = 0.26, 95% CI 0.01-0.10); MCA Vmean reactivity was negatively associated with response speed (β = -0.33, 95% CI -0.19 to -0.02) and positively with memory score (β = 0.28, 95% CI 0.01-0.19). MCA PI reactivity was negatively associated with attention performance (β = -0.29, 95% CI -14.9 to -1.0). Path analyses identified significant paths (p < 0.05) between carotid compliance and carotid diameter reactivity to select domains of cognitive function through MCA reactivity.ConclusionsNVC was associated with cognitive function in young women. Carotid artery function assessed as carotid compliance and carotid reactivity may contribute to optimal NVC in young women through increased blood flow delivery and reduced blood flow pulsatility.

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Increased cognitive workload evokes greater neurovascular coupling responses in healthy young adults.

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