title: Carotid artery flow volume and velocity by duplex sonography in men with chronic low thoracic and lumbar spinal cord injury.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, University Hospital, Hamamatsu, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mizushima
authors.forename: Fumihiro
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Tajima
authors.forename: Satoko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Aoki
authors.forename: Mitsuru
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Yamamoto
authors.forename: Hajime
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ogata
mesh_terms: 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