Circadian and Diurnal Regulation of Cerebral Blood Flow

Overview

Journal Circ Res

Specialty Cardiology & Vascular Diseases

Date 2024 Mar 14

PMID 38484025

Authors

Alastair J S Webb

Elizabeth B Klerman

Emiri T Mandeville

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Circadian and diurnal variation in cerebral blood flow directly contributes to the diurnal variation in the risk of stroke, either through factors that trigger stroke or due to impaired compensatory mechanisms. Cerebral blood flow results from the integration of systemic hemodynamics, including heart rate, cardiac output, and blood pressure, with cerebrovascular regulatory mechanisms, including cerebrovascular reactivity, autoregulation, and neurovascular coupling. We review the evidence for the circadian and diurnal variation in each of these mechanisms and their integration, from the detailed evidence for mechanisms underlying the nocturnal nadir and morning surge in blood pressure to identifying limited available evidence for circadian and diurnal variation in cerebrovascular compensatory mechanisms. We, thus, identify key systemic hemodynamic factors related to the diurnal variation in the risk of stroke but particularly identify the need for further research focused on cerebrovascular regulatory mechanisms.

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