Passive leg movement-induced hyperemia with a spinal cord lesion: Evidence of preserved vascular function

A spinal cord injury (SCI) clearly results in greater cardiovascular risk, however, accompanying changes in peripheral vascular structure below the lesion, mean the real impact of a SCI on vascular function is unclear. Therefore, utilizing passive leg movement-induced (PLM) hyperemia, an index of nitric oxide (NO)-dependent vascular function, and the central hemodynamic response to this intervention, we studied 8 individuals with a SCI, and 8 age-matched controls (CTRL). Specifically, we assessed heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV), cardiac output (CO), mean arterial pressure (MAP), leg blood flow (LBF), and thigh composition. In CTRL, passive movement, transiently decreased MAP, and increased HR and CO from baseline by 2.5±1 mmHg, 7±2 bpm, and 0.5±0.1 l/min respectively. In SCI, HR and CO responses were unidentifiable. LBF increased to a greater extent in CTRL (515±41 Δml/min) compared to SCI, (126±25 Δml/min) (p