Carotid artery flow volume and velocity by duplex sonography in men with chronic low thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the common carotid blood flow volume and velocity in men with chronic low thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury (SCI), using duplex sonography.


METHODS
Experimental control study.


METHODS
University laboratory in a department of rehabilitation medicine.


METHODS
Twenty men with SCI between the T7 and L1 segments and 15 age- and sex-matched control subjects.


METHODS
Not applicable.


METHODS
Common carotid artery flow volume and velocity.


RESULTS
The mean carotid artery time-averaged flow velocity of subjects with SCI was significantly lower than that of control subjects. Moreover, the mean carotid flow volume of subjects with SCI was significantly lower than that of control subjects (right side: SCI, .52+/-.14 L/min; controls, .67+/-.10 L/min; P <.05; left side: SCI, .54+/-.15 L/min; controls, .72+/-.14 L/min; P <.05).


CONCLUSIONS
There are reduced common carotid artery flow volumes and flow velocities in men with chronic SCI. The reduction may result from disturbances of blood distribution induced by reduced vasoconstriction tone below the level of SCI lesion.
Mizushima
Takashi
T
Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
Tajima
Fumihiro
F
Aoki
Satoko
S
Yamamoto
Mitsuru
M
Ogata
Hajime
H
D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity; D001794:Blood Pressure; D002339:Carotid Arteries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006339:Heart Rate; D006801:Humans; D008159:Lumbar Vertebrae; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013119:Spinal Cord Injuries / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D013904:Thoracic Vertebrae; D018616:Ultrasonography, Doppler, Duplex