Arterial blood flow waveform shapes – their original quantification and importance in chosen aspects of physiology and psychology: A review

Arterial blood flow waveform shape (ABFWS) analysis is usually employed in vessels diagnosis. This review presents links between ABFWS and some other physiological and psychological aspects. ABFWS for brachial and common carotid arteries is quantified with a Waveform Age (WA) index. WA well correlates with calendar age (CA): r = 0.79 and 0.88 for carotid and brachial arteries, respectively. The mean (expected) WA for a particular CA is equal to it. WA depends on blood flow wave reflections: WA is older for lower reflections (smaller flow pulsatility). An upper death limit of WA seems to exist; hypertension in the elderly may be a defense mechanism protecting against exceeding this limit. Relationships between WA and heart rate, fatigue and cognitive functions are most interesting. Regardless of breathing pattern, respiratory induced changes of heart rate are strongly correlated with WAs that were 1.7 s earlier (r = 0.87). Fatigue is associated with WA increase (p < 0.002); in a way, fatigue accompanies aging or temporary mimics it. WA is significantly lower than CA in persons with high intelligence quotient and significantly higher in patients with intellectual disability of unknown etiology (p < 0.000001). WA relatively well correlates with Matrices Tests scores (r = 0.65 for a linear combination of WAs for all the four arteries; 42 students, 16 yrs, the same social and educational levels). ABFW-Sdependent production of vasoactive substances (including nitric oxide being also a neurotransmitter) by endothelium, might be responsible for those surprising relationships. ABFWS can be treated, though only to some extent, as a kind of Damasio’s somatic markers.