Table 2.

Practical value and implications of techniques to assess vasomotor function

	Laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF)	Laser Doppler imaging (LDI)	Laser speckle contrast imaging
Arterial occlusion (PORH)	Sufficient validity Fair to poor reproducibility (improved when normalizing for skin temperature)	Slow kinetics with conventional LDI (can be improved by using multi-channel laser Doppler line)	Sufficient validity Easy to implement Very good reproducibility
Pressure (PIV)	Sufficient validity Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Lack of data on reproducibility	Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility	Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility
Thermal local heating (LTH)	Sufficient validity Easy to implement Fair to poor reproducibility (improved when normalizing for skin temperature/ using integrated probes)	Laborious to implement Very good reproducibility	Laborious to implement Very good reproducibility
Local cooling	Sufficient validity Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Acceptable reproducibility	Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility	Laborious to implement (requires custom-made devices) Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility
Electric current (CIV)	Lack of data on validity Easy to implement Lack of data on reproducibility	Easy to implement Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility	Easy to implement Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility
Ach iontophoresis	Lack of standardized settings Easy to implement Fair reproducibility	Lack of standardized settings Easy to implement	Easy to implement Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility
Nitropusside iontophoresis	Lack of standardized settings Easy to implement Poor reproducibility	Easy to implement Lack of standardized settings Fair reproducibility	Easy to implement Lack of data on validity Lack of data on reproducibility
Time–frequency analysis	Easy to perform Heterogeneity in methods Lack of data on reproducibility	Difficult to perform	Difficult to perform

A table of techniques to assess vasomotor function sorted by assessment methodology and stimulus to induce blood flow response. Techniques are sorted by technology used to capture blood flow (column headings) and stimuli used to evoke blood flow response (left-sided headings)