Research reportCerebral autoregulation in response to posture change in elderly subjects-assessment by wavelet phase coherence analysis of cerebral tissue oxyhemoglobin concentrations and arterial blood pressure signals

- Phase coherence between cerebral Delta [HbO2] and blood pressure was analyzed.
- Sit-to-stand change induces low wavelet phase coherence in elderly subjects.
- Stand-to-sit change induces high wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) in elderly subjects.
- Difference in WPCO indicates an altered cerebral autoregulation due to aging.

This study aims to assess the dynamic cerebral autoregulation (dCA) in response to posture change using wavelet phase coherence (WPCO) of cerebral tissue oxyhemoglobin concentrations (Delta [HbO2]) and arterial blood pressure (ABP) signals in healthy elderly subjects. Continuous recordings of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and ABP signals were obtained from simultaneous measurements in 16 healthy elderly subjects (age: 68.9 ± 7.1 years) and 19 young subjects (age: 24.9 ± 3.2 years). The phase coherence between Delta [HbO2] and ABP oscillations in six frequency intervals (I, 0.6-2 Hz; II, 0.15-0.6 Hz; III, 0.05-0.15 Hz; IV, 0.02-0.05 Hz, V, 0.0095-0.02 Hz and VI, 0.005-0.0095 Hz) was analyzed using WPCO. The sit-to-stand posture change induces significantly lower WPCO in interval III (F = 5.50 p = 0.025) in the elderly subjects than in the young subjects. However, the stand-to-sit posture change induces higher WPCO in intervals II (F = 5.25 p = 0.028) and V (F = 6.22 p = 0.018) in the elderly subjects than in the young subjects. The difference of WPCO in response to posture change between the elderly and the young subjects indicates an altered CA due to aging. This study provides new insight into the dynamics of CA and may be useful in identifying the risk for dCA processes.