Abstract #4375

Neurovascular Reactivity in Smokers and Nonsmokers Measured by High-Speed MR Flow Mapping During Volitional Apnea

Felix W Wehrli¹, Yongxia Zhou¹, Zachary B Rodgers¹, and Michael C Langham¹

¹Department of Radiology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, United States

Smoking is well known to cause vasoconstriction as a result of the formation of reactive oxygen species, which reduce nitric oxide availability. Vasomotor reactivity can be measured in terms of the change in cerebral blood flow in response to a hypercapnic challenge. Here we measured the change in superior sagittal sinus flow at 2-second temporal resolution during breath-hold (a predominantly hypercapnic stimulus) and computed a breath-hold index (BHI) as the slope of the flow velocity-time curve in 20 nonsmokers and 13 chronic smokers. The data suggest reduced BHI in the smoking group (0.252±0.097 vs. 0.306±0.098 cm/s², p<0.07) indicative of dysregulation of vascular reactivity.

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