Hansen Rasmus Kopp, Bering Rasmus, Graff Claus, Volianitis Stefanos, Laessoe Uffe, Samani Afshin, Larsen Ryan Godsk
Respiratory and Critical Care Group, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
ExerciseTech, Department of Health Science and Technology, Faculty of Medicine, Aalborg University, Aalborg, Denmark.
Exp Physiol. 2025 Aug 12. doi: 10.1113/EP092667.
Spinal cord injury (SCI) is characterized by autonomic cardiovascular dysfunction that may contribute to the three- to fourfold greater risk of heart disease and stroke compared to non-injured individuals. While exercise training elicits beneficial changes in autonomic function and vascular structure in healthy individuals, it is unclear if similar adaptations occur in individuals with SCI. Adults with chronic SCI (>1 year post injury) were randomized to 12 weeks of supervised upper-body rowing exercise (UBROW; 3×/week; n = 8), adhering to current exercise guidelines, or control (CON; n = 9). Autonomic cardiovascular control was assessed by heart rate variability (HRV; electrocardiography) and blood pressure responses to a sit-up test (finger plethysmography). Brachial (peripheral) and carotid (central) artery diameter and wall thickness (near- and far-wall carotid intima-media-thickness) were measured using high-resolution ultrasound. All measurements were conducted at baseline, after 6 and 12 weeks. There was no effect of UBROW on time and frequency domain HRV or blood pressure responses to the sit-up test (group-by-time interactions: P ≥ 0.28; effect sizes: η ≤ 0.11). For UBROW, brachial artery diameter increased from 4.80 ± 0.72 mm at baseline to 5.08 ± 0.91 mm after 12 weeks (P < 0.05, η = 0.27). Carotid artery dimensions did not change, and there were no correlations between changes (baseline-12 weeks) in brachial artery diameter and changes in HRV outcomes (r ≤ 0.40, P ≥ 0.14). While upper-body rowing exercise enlarged brachial artery diameter, carotid artery dimensions and autonomic cardiovascular control did not change, suggesting local vascular remodelling, but no systemic vascular adaptations, in response to a supervised 12-week exercise intervention in spinal cord-injured humans.
脊髓损伤（SCI）的特征是自主心血管功能障碍，与未受伤个体相比，这可能导致心脏病和中风风险增加三到四倍。虽然运动训练能使健康个体的自主功能和血管结构产生有益变化，但尚不清楚脊髓损伤个体是否会出现类似的适应性变化。将慢性脊髓损伤成人（损伤后>1年）随机分为两组，一组进行为期12周的有监督的上身划船运动（UBROW；每周3次；n = 8），遵循当前运动指南，另一组为对照组（CON；n = 9）。通过心率变异性（HRV；心电图）和对仰卧起坐测试的血压反应（手指体积描记法）评估自主心血管控制。使用高分辨率超声测量肱动脉（外周）和颈动脉（中心）的直径和壁厚度（近壁和远壁颈动脉内膜中层厚度）。所有测量均在基线、6周和12周后进行。UBROW对仰卧起坐测试的时域和频域HRV或血压反应没有影响（组间时间交互作用：P≥0.28；效应大小：η≤0.11）。对于UBROW，肱动脉直径从基线时的4.80±0.72毫米增加到12周后的5.08±0.91毫米（P<0.05，η = 0.27）。颈动脉尺寸没有变化，肱动脉直径变化（基线至12周）与HRV结果变化之间没有相关性（r≤0.40，P≥0.14）。虽然上身划船运动使肱动脉直径增大，但颈动脉尺寸和自主心血管控制没有变化，这表明在脊髓损伤的人类中，经过12周有监督运动干预后，出现了局部血管重塑，但没有全身血管适应性变化。
