Laser speckle contrast imaging: age-related changes in microvascular blood flow and correlation with pulse-wave velocity in healthy subjects

Abstract

In the cardiovascular system, the macrocirculation and microcirculation—two subsystems—can be affected by aging. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) is an emerging noninvasive optical technique that allows the monitoring of microvascular function and can help, using specific data processing, to understand the relationship between the subsystems. Using LSCI, the goals of this study are: (i) to assess the aging effect over microvascular parameters (perfusion and moving blood cells velocity, MBCV) and macrocirculation parameters (pulse-wave velocity, PWV) and (ii) to study the relationship between these parameters. In 16 healthy subjects (20 to 62 years old), perfusion and MBCV computed from LSCI are studied in three physiological states: rest, vascular occlusion, and post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH). MBCV is computed from a model of velocity distribution. During PORH, the experimental results show a relationship between perfusion and age (R(2) = 0.67) and between MBCV and age (R(2) = 0.72), as well as between PWV and age at rest (R(2) = 0.91). A relationship is also found between perfusion and MBCV for all physiological states (R(2) = 0.98). Relationships between microcirculation and macrocirculation (perfusion-PWV or MBCV-PWV) are found only during PORH with R(2) = 0.76 and R(2) = 0.77, respectively. This approach may prove useful for investigating dysregulation in blood flow.

Skin microvascular endothelial function as a biomarker in cardiovascular diseases?

“…Similarly, there is a lack of an association between PWV parameters and skin microvascular function assessed by LDF coupled with LTH and acetylcholine iontophoresis in diabetic patients suggesting that arterial stiffness does not lead to generalized microvascular dysfunction [46]. Using LSCI, a correlation was found between PWV and microvascular perfusion during PORH in healthy subjects [47]. However, attenuated LTH and PORH (expressed in arbitrary perfusion units) did not correlate with coronary atherosclerosis (coronary calcification score).…”

Evaluation of systemic microvascular reactivity in adults with congenital heart disease

“…These authors found that the main factor associated with endothelial dysfunction was age because elderly individuals with HF presented the strongest microcirculatory impairment. In addition, progressive deterioration of microvascular endothelial function with aging has been reported . However, most of the analyzed patients in the present study were young.…”

“…In addition, progressive deterioration of microvascular endothelial function with aging has been reported. 52 However, most of the analyzed patients in the present study were young.…”

The Effects of Arterial Hypertension and Age on the Sublingual Microcirculation of Healthy Volunteers and Outpatients with Cardiovascular Risk Factors

“…In the muscle of aged individuals, the capillary density has been found decreased [15], unchanged [5], or even increased [9]. In the dermis, the microvascular flow has also been reported as reduced [33], unmodified [27], or augmented [31]. In the intestine, few changes develop with aging [43].…”