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Pressor response to passive walking-like exercise in spinal cord-injured humans

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Abstract

Objective

To examine blood pressure responses during passive walking-like exercise in the standing posture (PWE) in spinal cord-injured (SCI) humans.

Methods

Twelve motor-complete SCI individuals (cervical level 6 to thoracic level 12, ASIA grade: A or B) and twelve able-bodied controls (CON) participated in this study. SCI individuals were divided into a group with injury level at or above thoracic (T) 6 (HSCI, n = 7) and a group with injury level at or below T10 (LSCI, n = 5). Subjects carried out 6-minute quiet standing and then 12-minute PWE at 1 Hz using a gait training apparatus that enables subjects to stand and move their legs passively.

Results

Mean arterial blood pressures (MAPs) at standing in HSCI, LSCI and CON were 69 ± 5, 83 ± 4 and 93 ± 2 mmHg, respectively. MAP changed significantly during PWE only in HSCI and CON, increasing to 88 ± 4 (P < 0.001) and 98 ± 1 mmHg (P < 0.01), respectively. The former group showed a larger increase in MAP (P < 0.001).

Interpretation

Spinal sympathetic reflexes can be induced in a region isolated from the brainstem in response to a stimulus originating below the level of the spinal cord injury, and the magnitude of increase in blood pressure is greater in SCI individuals with lesion level at or above T6 due to loss of supraspinal control of the major sympathetic outflow. This central mechanism may be one of the reasons why greater pressor response to PWE was observed in HSCI.

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Acknowledgment

This study was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare of Japan.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Dept. of Rehabilitation for Movement Functions, Research Institute of National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, 4-1 Namiki, Tokorozawa, Saitama, 359-8555, Japan

    Hisayoshi Ogata PhD, Toru Ogata MD, PhD, Shinya Hoshikawa MD, PhD & Kimitaka Nakazawa PhD

  2. Dept. of Physical Training for Remedial Gymnastics, Hospital, National Rehabilitation Center for Persons with Disabilities, Tokorozawa, Japan

    Yukiharu Higuchi PhD & Masami Akai MD, PhD

Authors
  1. Hisayoshi Ogata PhD
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  2. Yukiharu Higuchi PhD
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  3. Toru Ogata MD, PhD
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  4. Shinya Hoshikawa MD, PhD
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  5. Masami Akai MD, PhD
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  6. Kimitaka Nakazawa PhD
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Correspondence to Hisayoshi Ogata PhD.

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Ogata, H., Higuchi, Y., Ogata, T. et al. Pressor response to passive walking-like exercise in spinal cord-injured humans. Clin Auton Res 19, 113–122 (2009). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-008-0504-x

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10286-008-0504-x

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