title: Cerebral blood flow volume measurements with ultrasound: Interobserver reproducibility in preterm and term neonates.
abstract: Cerebral blood flow (CBF) volume can be measured quantitatively by colour duplex sonography. To test the reliability of CBF volume measurements in newborns, two "blinded" examiners performed a prospective test-retest study in 32 neonates (postmenstrual age 32 to 42 weeks). Measurements were done in the internal carotid and vertebral arteries. Intravascular flow volumes (FV) were calculated as the product of angle-corrected time-averaged flow velocity and the cross-sectional area of the vessel. The CBF volumes measured by the two examiners were very close (mean +/- SD, 62.6 +/- 20.6 vs. 62.1 +/- 21.2 mL/min, NS; coefficient of variation, 6.3%; intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.98). The 95% limits of agreement, according to Bland and Altman, ranged from -7.3 to +8.4 mL/min. In comparison with other test-retest studies, the reproducibility of quantitative CBF measurements reported here is among the best ever found. We conclude that CBF volume can be measured reliably even in preterm neonates.
authors.affiliation: Department of Child Neurology, University Children's Hospital, Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: Stefan
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ehehalt
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kehrer
authors.forename: Rangmar
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Goelz
authors.forename: Christian
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Poets
authors.forename: Martin
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Schöning
mesh_terms: D001810:Blood Volume / Q000502:physiology; D002343:Carotid Artery, Internal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn / Q000502:physiology*; D007234:Infant, Premature / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D015588:Observer Variation; D011446:Prospective Studies; D015203:Reproducibility of Results; D018615:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Color / Q000379:methods*; D014711:Vertebral Artery / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging