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Cutaneous microvascular functional assessment during exercise: a novel approach using laser speckle contrast imaging

  • Integrative Physiology
  • Published:
Pflügers Archiv - European Journal of Physiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Cardiovascular diseases are often revealed during exercise and are associated with cutaneous blood flow (CBF) dysfunction. Studies of CBF during exercise are consequently of interest. Laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) allows for non-contact and real-time recording of CBF at rest. We tested whether LSCI could allow the study of CBF during a cycling exercise using a specific signal treatment procedure that removes movement-induced artefacts from the LSCI raw signal. We recorded the baseline CBF and peak post-occlusive reactive hyperaemia (PORH) from the cutaneous forearm using LSCI and the mean blood pressure before and during cycling (80 W at 70 rpm) in nine healthy subjects. We determined the cross-correlation coefficient r between LSCI traces obtained before and during cycling and before and after a specifically designed signal processing technique. The results are presented as the median (25th–75th centile) and expressed as the cutaneous vascular conductance (laser speckle perfusion units (LSPU) per millimetre of mercury). Cross-correlation r increased from 0.226 ± 0.140 before to 0.683 ± 0.170 after post-processing. After signal processing, the peak PORH during exercise was reduced [0.38 (0.30–0.52) LSPU/mmHg] compared with the peak PORH during the non-exercise phase [0.69 (0.63–0.74) LSPU/mmHg, p < 0.01], whereas no difference was found between the baseline values. With adequate signal processing, LSCI appears valuable for investigating CBF during exercise. During constant-load lower limb cycling exercise, the upper limb peak PORH is reduced compared with the peak PORH during non-exercise. The underlying mechanisms warrant further investigations in both healthy (trained) subjects and diseased (e.g., coronary heart disease) patients.

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Acknowledgments

The authors thank Lydie Gascoin, Isabelle Albertini, and Yoanna Onillon for technical help and Professor Fallou Cissé for expert reviewing and useful suggestions. The study was supported in part by an “INTERFACE” grant from the “Institut National de la Santé et de la Recherche Médicale” (INSERM) and was promoted by the University Hospital of Angers.

Competing interests

None declared for each author.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratory of Vascular Investigations, University Hospital of Angers, Angers, France

    G. Mahe, P. Abraham & A. Bruneau

  2. Biologie Neurovasculaire et Mitochondriale Intégrée (BNMI)—Unité mixte UMR CNRS 6214/INSERM U 1083, Medicine Faculty, L’UNAM University, University of Angers, Angers, France

    G. Mahe & P. Abraham

  3. Movement, Sport, and Health Sciences Laboratory, UFR APS, University of Rennes, Rennes, France

    A. Le Faucheur

  4. ENS Cachan—Brittany Branch, Cachan, France

    A. Le Faucheur

  5. Institute of Physical Education and Sports Sciences (APCoSS-IFEPSA), UCO. 49, Rue des perrins, Les Ponts de Cé, 49136, France

    A. Le Faucheur

  6. LISA—Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Automatisés, L’UNAM University, University of Angers, 62 avenue Notre Dame du Lac, 49000, Angers, France

    A. Humeau-Heurtier

  7. <EA 4334>, Motricity, Interactions, and Performance, L’UNAM University, University du Maine, Avenue Olivier Messiaen, 72085, Le Mans Cedex 9, France

    S. Durand

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  1. G. Mahe
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  2. P. Abraham
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  3. A. Le Faucheur
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  4. A. Bruneau
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  5. A. Humeau-Heurtier
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Correspondence to G. Mahe or S. Durand.

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Clinical-Trial-Registration: NCT01152008

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Mahe, G., Abraham, P., Le Faucheur, A. et al. Cutaneous microvascular functional assessment during exercise: a novel approach using laser speckle contrast imaging. Pflugers Arch - Eur J Physiol 465, 451–458 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-012-1215-7

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00424-012-1215-7

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