Noninvasive prediction of intracranial pressure curves using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography and blood pressure curves.
OBJECTIVE
Until now the assessment of intracranial pressure (ICP) required invasive methods. The objective of this study was to introduce an approach to a noninvasive assessment of continuous ICP curves.


METHODS
The intracranial compartment was considered a "black box" system with an input signal, the arterial blood pressure (ABP), and an output signal, the ICP. A so-called weight function described the relationship between ABP and ICP curves. Certain parameters, called transcranial Doppler (TCD) characteristics, were calculated from the cerebral blood flow velocity (FV) and the ABP curves and were used to estimate this weight function. From simultaneously sampled FV, ABP, and (invasively measured) ICP curves of a defined group of patients with severe head injuries, the TCD characteristics and the weight function were computed. Multiple regression analysis revealed a mathematical formula for calculating the weight function from TCD characteristics. This formula was used to generate the ICP simulation. FV, ABP, and ICP recordings from 11 patients (mean age, 46 +/- 14 years) with severe head injury were studied. In each patient, ICP was computed by a simulation procedure, generated from the data of the remaining 10 patients. The simulation period was 100 seconds.


RESULTS
Corresponding pressure trends with a mean absolute difference of 4.0 +/- 1.8 mm Hg between computed and measured ICP were observed. Shapes of pulse and respiratory ICP modulations were clearly predicted.


CONCLUSIONS
These results demonstrate that this method constitutes a promising step toward a noninvasive ICP prediction that may be clinically applicable under well-defined conditions.
Schmidt
B
B
Department of Neurology, Technical University of Munich, Germany. schmidt@riker.neuro.med.tu-muenchen.de
Klingelhöfer
J
J
Schwarze
J J
JJ
Sander
D
D
Wittich
I
I
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology; D003198:Computer Simulation; D005260:Female; D005544:Forecasting; D006801:Humans; D007427:Intracranial Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008959:Models, Neurological; D011674:Pulse; D012119:Respiration / Q000502:physiology; D017585:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial