A comparative assessment of cerebral haemodynamics in the basilar artery and carotid territory by transcranial Doppler sonography in normal subjects.
In 69 healthy volunteers (34 males, 35 females, age range 17-80 years) we compared the following haemodynamic parameters between the basilar artery and carotid artery system, assessed by transcranial Doppler sonography: mean blood velocity, pulsatility index and the hemispheric indices as ratios of the middle, anterior and posterior cerebral arteries with the internal carotid artery (MCA/ICA, ACA/ICA, PCA/ICA) and of the PCA with the basilar artery (PCA/BA), as well as the ACA/MCA and the MCA/BA ratio. In all arteries (ICA, MCA, ACA, PCA and BA) mean blood velocity decreased significantly with advancing age (p < 0.01) and was significantly higher in females as compared to males (p < 0.05). The pulsatility index increased significantly with age in the ICA, MCA, ACA and BA (p < 0.01) and showed no sex differences in any of the intracranial arteries except for the ACA. The MCA/ICA and ACA/ICA index declined significantly with advancing age (p < 0.005, p < 0.05, respectively) and with increasing heart rate (p < 0.01 for both arteries), while the ACA/MCA, the PCA/BA and the MCA/BA ratio remained unchanged by age and heart rate. We conclude that there is no striking difference in the cerebral haemodynamics of the basilar artery and the carotid artery supplied territories.
Müller
M
M
Department of Neurology, University Hospital of the Saarland, Germany.
Schimrigk
K
K
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000375:Aging / Q000502:physiology; D001488:Basilar Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011674:Pulse; D012016:Reference Values; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial