2012 Volume 52 Issue February Pages 109-114
Abstract: In order to better understand the pathophysiology of cardiovascular diseases, both peripheral muscle metabolism and blood flow should be examined. Conventionally, blood flow measurements were performed by venous occlusion plethysmography or catheter based procedures, which evaluate non-selective blood flow. Plethysmography measures the whole limb blood flow, including the flow in skin and non-exercising muscles. A catheter is usually inserted into the large vein and also provides the whole limb blood flow measurement. In contrast, near-infrared spectroscopy might provide information about the nutritive flow in localized exercising muscle. A combined use of NIRS with 31P-magnetic resonance spectroscopy, which can measure muscle metabolism, is a novel tool to elucidate the pathophysiology in cardiovascular disorders.
