Losing the dogmatic view of cerebral autoregulation

Research output: Contribution to journalReviewResearchpeer-review

  • Patrice Brassard
  • Lawrence Labrecque
  • Jonathan D Smirl
  • Michael M Tymko
  • Caldwell, Hannah Grace
  • Ryan L Hoiland
  • Samuel J E Lucas
  • André Y Denault
  • Etienne J Couture
  • Philip N Ainslie

In 1959, Niels Lassen illustrated the cerebral autoregulation curve in the classic review article entitled Cerebral Blood Flow and Oxygen Consumption in Man. This concept suggested a relatively broad mean arterial pressure range (~60–150 mmHg) wherein cerebral blood flow remains constant. However, the assumption that this wide cerebral autoregulation plateau could be applied on a within-individual basis is incorrect and greatly variable between individuals. Indeed, each data point on the autoregulatory curve originated from independent samples of participants and patients and represented interindividual relationships between cerebral blood flow and mean arterial pressure. Nonetheless, this influential concept remains commonly cited and illustrated in various high-impact publications and medical textbooks, and is frequently taught in medical and science education without appropriate nuances and caveats. Herein, we provide the rationale and additional experimental data supporting the notion we need to lose this dogmatic view of cerebral autoregulation.

Original languageEnglish
Article numbere14982
JournalPhysiological Reports
Volume9
Issue number15
Number of pages11
ISSN2051-817X
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2021
Externally publishedYes

Bibliographical note

Publisher Copyright:
© 2021 The Authors. Physiological Reports published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of The Physiological Society and the American Physiological Society

    Research areas

  • Arterial blood pressure, Autoregulatory curve, Cerebral autoregulation, Cerebral blood flow, Lassen

ID: 306296029