title: The Oscillating Component of the Internal Jugular Vein Flow: The Overlooked Element of Cerebral Circulation.
abstract: The jugular venous pulse (JVP) provides valuable information about cardiac haemodynamics and filling pressures and is an indirect estimate of the central venous pressure (CVP). Recently it has been proven that JVP can be obtained by measuring the cross-sectional area (CSA) of the IJV on each sonogram of an ultrasound B-mode sonogram sequence. It has also been proven that during its pulsation the IJV is distended and hence that the pressure gradient drives the IJV haemodynamics. If this is true, then it will imply the following: (i) the blood velocity in the IJV is a periodic function of the time with period equal to the cardiac period and (ii) the instantaneous blood velocity is given by a time function that can be derived from a flow-dynamics theory that uses the instantaneous pressure gradient as a parameter. The aim of the present study is to confirm the hypothesis that JVP regulates the IJV blood flow and that pressure waves are transmitted from the heart toward the brain through the IJV wall.
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, Ferrara, Italy; Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Via Aldo Moro 8, Cona, 44124 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Sisini
authors.affiliation: Laboratory of Applied Mathematics, DICAM, University of Trento, Via Mesiano 77, 38100 Trento, Italy.
authors.forename: Eleuterio
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Toro
authors.affiliation: Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, University of Ferrara, Via Saragat 1, Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Mauro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Gambaccini
authors.affiliation: Vascular Diseases Center, University of Ferrara, Via Aldo Moro 8, Cona, 44124 Ferrara, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Zamboni
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology*; D002496:Central Venous Pressure / Q000502:physiology*; D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D006439:Hemodynamics / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007601:Jugular Veins / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D063177:Pulse Wave Analysis / Q000379:methods*; D014463:Ultrasonography