title: Longitudinal changes of ocular blood flow using laser speckle flowgraphy during normal pregnancy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Innovative laser speckle flowgraphy (LSFG) enables noninvasive evaluation of retinal microcirculation and the usefulness has been reported in the field of ophthalmology. LSFG has allowed us to measure the real time changes of retinal blood flow without pupillary dilatations and contrast media. Herein, we investigated the change of retinal blood flow in normal pregnant women during gestation using LSFG.
  
  
  METHODS
  A prospective cohort study was conducted in 53 pregnant women who visited our institution between January, 2013 and July, 2014. Finally, a total of 41 participants without any obstetric complications were available for evaluation. Retinal blood flow was measured with LSFG in a total of 4 times during pregnancy (T1. 11-13 weeks, T2. 19-21 weeks, T3. 28-30 weeks, T4. 34-36 weeks) and mean blur rate (MBR), blowout score (BOS), flow acceleration index (FAI), and resistive index (RI) are analyzed from these measurements. Relations between LSFG parameters and mean arterial blood pressure (MAP) are determined throughout pregnancy.
  
  
  RESULTS
  MBR showed no significant changes throughout pregnancy. BOS showed a tendency to increase in the 3rd trimester. FAI values showed a slight increase from the 1st to 2nd trimester while a significant decrease was noted in the 3rd trimester. RI exhibited no changes between the 1st and 2nd trimesters, values decreased significantly after the 3rd trimester. MAP was positively correlated with BOS, and negatively correlated with FAI and RI.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study clearly demonstrated that profiles of LSFG parameters demonstrated a decrease of resistance in retinal blood vessels. These changes in indices provide a highly sensitive reflection of physiological changes in vascular resistance due to pregnancy. Thus, LSFG may be useful, as a non-invasive, diagnostic tool to detect pregnancy related disorders such as preeclampsia.
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Takahiro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.|Division of Feto-Maternal Medical Science, Tohoku Medical Megabank Organization, Tohoku University, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Junichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Sugawara
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Naoko
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Aizawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Noriyuki
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Iwama
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Fumiaki
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Takahashi
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Michiyo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura-Kurakata
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Masatoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Saito
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Ehime University Graduate School of Medicine, Matsuyama, Ehime, Japan.
authors.forename: Takashi
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sugiyama
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiroshi
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kunikata
authors.affiliation: Department of Ophthalmology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Toru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Nakazawa
authors.affiliation: Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine, Sendai, Miyagi, Japan.
authors.forename: Nobuo
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Yaegashi
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001783:Blood Flow Velocity / Q000502:physiology; D001794:Blood Pressure / Q000502:physiology; D005123:Eye / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D046110:Hypertension, Pregnancy-Induced / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017078:Laser-Doppler Flowmetry; D009798:Ocular Hypertension / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D009898:Optic Disk / Q000098:blood supply / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D011225:Pre-Eclampsia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D011247:Pregnancy; D012160:Retina / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000502:physiology; D012171:Retinal Vessels / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology