title: Central retinal artery Doppler flow parameters reflect the severity of cerebral small-vessel disease.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the usefulness of central retinal artery (CRA) Doppler flowmetry in patients with cerebral small-vessel disease (SVD).
  
  
  METHODS
  CRA Doppler flowmetry was performed in 103 SVD patients who underwent MRI. Sixty-four adjusted control subjects were also registered. We assessed average CRA flow parameter values for both eyes with the clinical and MRI findings.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Each Doppler flowmetry was performed within 5 minutes. Patients with SVD had significantly lower end-diastolic and mean velocities of the CRA than control subjects; they also had higher pulsatility and resistive indexes. Multivariate analysis showed that the number of small infarcts was an independent predictor of peak systolic and mean velocities. Grade of periventricular hyperintensities was an additional independent predictor of peak systolic and mean velocities, whereas the number of small infarcts was predictive of end-diastolic velocity.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Flow parameters may be useful for the quantitative assessment of SVD severity.
authors.affiliation: Human Brain Research Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Shogoin, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507, Japan. CYI01752@nifty.ne.jp
authors.forename: Masahiko
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hiroki
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Miyashita
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yoshida
authors.forename: Shunsaku
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Hirai
authors.forename: Hidenao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Fukuyama
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D017536:Carotid Artery, Common / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002561:Cerebrovascular Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D016014:Linear Models; D008297:Male; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011673:Pulsatile Flow; D012161:Retinal Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color