LBNP reduces cerebral perfusion but does not impact executive function
Abstract
A growing body of literature has demonstrated that a single bout of aerobic exercise and/or hypercapnic manipulations increase cerebral blood flow (CBF) and are linked to a transient (i.e.,min) post-intervention executive function (EF) benefit. However, there are no direct studies examining whether a transient decrease in CBF elicits a post-intervention EF decrement. Accordingly, my thesis employed 10-min single bout manipulations of -30 mmHg and -50 mmHg lower-body negative pressure (LBNP) to determine whether a transient reduction in CBF impacts EF. LBNP was applied as it renders sub-atmospheric pressure to the lower limbs and redistributes blood from the upper to lower compartments of the body. Results demonstrated that a reduction in CBF at both LBNP magnitudes; however, this did not result in a post-intervention EF decrement. Accordingly my thesis demonstrates that an acute reduction in CBF does not negatively influence EF.