Impact Of 6-month Exercise Training On Neurovascular Function In Persons With Spinal Cord Injury: 926 Board #52 May 27 2:30 PM - 4:00 PM

Accumulating evidence shows an exacerbated incidence of cognitive impairment after spinal cord injury (SCI); however, the physiology that underlies this apparent post-SCI cognitive decline is unknown. PURPOSE: To investigate the impact of injury and 6-month full-body exercise training on neurovascular coupling in individuals with SCI. METHODS: In 24 participants with SCI and 16 controls, we investigated hemodynamic (heart rate, blood pressure, CO2) and middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity responses to a working memory task (neurovascular coupling) before and after training. Neurovascular coupling was compared across groups while accounting for injury parameters. Within individuals with SCI, 6-month changes in neurovascular coupling and its relation to changes in aerobic capacity were compared via linear mixed effect model. RESULTS: Reaction time tended to be higher in individuals with SCI, especially those with high-level (≥T4) injuries, possibly due to upper motor impairments. Neurovascular coupling was graded across task difficulty (p<0.01), while injury did not have a significant impact (group effect p=0.99, interaction p=0.70). Individuals with low-level injuries (