Basilar artery blood flow velocity changes in patients with panic disorder following 35% carbon dioxide challenge

PURPOSE: We compared the mean basilar artery blood flow velocity (BABFV) between patients with panic disorder and healthy subjects both at rest and immediately following carbon dioxide (CO(2)) challenge, and examined the effects of treatment on BABFV. METHODS: Twenty four patients with panic disorder with or without agoraphobia and 12 healthy comparison subjects were studied. Visual Analog Anxiety Scale was used to evaluate the anxiogenic effect of 35% CO(2) inhalation. Mean BABFV was monitored using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography at rest and 10, 20, 30, 60, 90, 120 s after 35% CO(2) challenge both before and after four weeks treatment with paroxetine. RESULTS: The hemodynamic response pattern of basilar artery to CO(2) inhalation was significantly different between two groups. CO(2) rapidly triggered blood flow velocity in basilar artery amongst panic patients but not in healthy comparisons. The mean time to normalization of BABFV was significantly longer in panic patients. Four weeks of treatment with paroxetine led to a significantly reduced mean BABFV after 35% CO(2) inhalation in comparison with pretreatment. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with panic disorder had impaired cerebral regulatory mechanisms observed as a change in response characteristics in BABFV in response to CO(2) inhalation. Treatment with paroxetine reduced the increase of BABFV seen in patients after the CO(2) challenge.     

Evaluation of cerebral blood flow volume using color duplex sonography in patients with untreated panic disorder

The aim of this study was to compare cerebral blood flow (CBF) using color duplex sonography in panic disorder and normal controls. We report 24 untreated patients and 20 healthy subjects. State-Trait Anxiety Inventory, Beck Depression Inventory, Beck Anxiety Inventory, and Symptom Check List-90 were completed on each subject. The internal carotid artery (ICA) and vertebral artery (VA) of both sides were explored with a 7.5-Mhz linear array transducer. CBF volume and mean ICA flow velocity were significantly higher in patients than normal subjects adjusted for age. However, we could not find a statistically significant difference in flow volume and velocity of VA and the sum of bilateral ICA volume between patients and controls adjusted for age. There was also no correlation between CBF volume and the other radiological data with STAI scores. In conclusion, we found that independent of anxiety levels, CBF volume has increased in panic disorder patients. In addition, color duplex sonography is a non-invasive and easily applicable technique and it is a preferable alternative to quantify CBF volume.     

经颅多普勒超声在急性脑卒中静脉溶栓患者中的应用

经颅多普勒超声(TCD)在评价血管方面与CT血管成像具有较高的一致性,TCD可额外提供实时血流动力学信息。TCD中缺血性脑卒中溶栓评分体系可评估病变血管残端血流,是衡量血管再通的指标之一;在大脑中动脉闭塞的脑卒中患者中,血流转向可作为TCD软脑膜侧支循环指数,预示良好功能预后;病变血管舒张末期血流速度增加与血管再通具有良好的相关性。     

Correlation of cerebral hemodynamic changes during mental activity and recovery after stroke

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the correlation between changes in cerebral functional activity during mental engagement and the potential for neurologic recovery after stroke. BACKGROUND: Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) makes it possible to detect the dynamic adjustment of cerebral perfusion related to functional neuronal changes. METHODS: TCD monitoring of flow velocity changes in the middle cerebral artery of 29 ischemic stroke patients was performed during an object recognition task. The study took place within 4 weeks from stroke onset. Based on recovery occurring after 2 months, the patients were divided into four groups depending on the side of hemispheric lesion and the presence or absence of neurologic recovery. Ten healthy subjects served as control subjects. RESULTS: During the recognition task, control subjects showed a bilateral increase in flow velocity with respect to the rest phase (right side, 7.02 +/- 1.3%; left side, 6.65 +/- 1. 1%), with no side-to-side difference. In patients who experienced recovery, a similar pattern of bilateral activation was observed, irrespective of the side of the lesion. Conversely, in patients with no recovery, the increase of flow velocity was significantly higher on the side contralateral to the brain lesion (p < 0.0001) with respect to the lesion side. Performance during the recognition task was comparable in the four groups of patients. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that satisfactory recovery from a neurologic deficit requires the persistence of functional activity in the damaged hemisphere despite the presence of an anatomic lesion. The possibility of obtaining early prognostic indications with TCD may be relevant for an early selection of patients with the best probability of benefiting from rehabilitation therapy.     

发作期抑郁症患者脑动脉血流速度与注意力、执行功能关系

目的探讨发作期抑郁症患者脑动脉血流速度及其与注意力、执行功能的关系。方法 70例发作期抑郁症患者及65名健康对照纳入研究。采用24项汉密尔顿抑郁量表(24 items Hamilton depression scale,HAMD-24)评估抑郁症患者抑郁情绪,划销测验(cancellation test,CT)、威斯康星卡片分类测验(Wisconsin card sorting test,WCST)评估的认知功能,采用经颅多普勒超声(transcranial Doppler,TCD)检测脑动脉血流速度。结果与对照组比较,发作期抑郁症患者基底动脉、左侧大脑中动脉、右侧大脑中动脉、左大脑前动脉与右大脑前动脉平均血流速度均减慢,差异具有统计学意义(P0.05)。患者组CT各阶段净分及总净分低于对照组,而WCST总应答数、错误应答数、持续性错误数、完成第一个分类所需应答数均高于对照组,差异具有统计学意义(P0.01)。发作期抑郁症患者大脑基底动脉(r=0.25)、左中动脉(r=0.46)、右中动脉(r=0.25)、右后动脉(r=0.26)平均血流速度与CT总净分呈正相关(P0.05),各大脑动脉平均血流速度与WCST总应答数、持续性错误数呈负相关(P0.05),基底动脉、左右后动脉与错误应答数、完成第一个分类所需应答数呈负相关(P0.05)。结论发作期抑郁症患者大脑动脉平均血流速度普遍降低,注意力与执行功能受损。认知功能受损可能与脑动脉平均血流速度的改变有关。     

Evaluation of transcranial Doppler flow velocity changes in intracerebral hemorrhage rats using ultrasonography

This study investigated the blood flow velocity changes in seven major arteries in rat brain before and after intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) using high frequency transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography (13-4MHz). Eighteen adult Sprague Dawley rats received either the collagenase-injection surgery (ICH, n=12) or the saline-injection surgery (control, n=6) after baseline TCD flow velocity values were recorded. The TCD flow velocity changes were measured at 0.5h after the surgery and daily for the following 8days in seven major cerebral arteries, including bilateral internal carotid arteries, bilateral middle cerebral arteries (MCAs), bilateral posterior cerebral arteries (PCAs), and basilar artery. The results showed a significant decrease of TCD flow velocity in the right MCA at 0.5h and 24h after the collagenase-injection surgery, and in the right PCA at 0.5h in the ICH group rats. The TCD flow velocities in these two arteries gradually increased and then returned to the baseline values in the following days. The control group rats did not show significant changes in TCD flow velocity in all monitored arteries. This study demonstrates the feasibility and reliability of monitoring TCD flow velocity in cerebral arteries using ultrasonography technique in a rat ICH model. The results of this study extend our knowledge in the cerebrovascular changes during intracranial hemorrhage and suggest a possibility of clinical application of TCD ultrasonography in studying the dynamic cerebral circulation after strokes. Moreover, this method could be extensively applied in further studies using potential neuroprotective treatments that affect the cerebral dynamics in the intracerebral hemorrhage.     

Audiovestibular functioning in patients with panic disorder

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to investigate audiovestibular function in patients with panic disorder and healthy subjects by using vestibular and audiologic tests. METHODS: Thirty-four panic disorder patients and 20 healthy control subjects were assessed by using clinical otoneurological examination, pure tone audiometry, tympanometry, and electronystagmography (ENG). All patients were evaluated with the Panic and Agoraphobia Scale (PAS), the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS), the Hamilton Depression Rating Scale (HDRS), and the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory (STAI). RESULTS: On vestibular testing, abnormal responses were more prevalent in panic disorder patients compared to healthy controls. The presence of agoraphobia in panic disorder patients did not make a significant difference on vestibular test results. The only variable that may be a predictor of vestibular abnormalities in panic disorder patients was found to be dizziness between attacks. CONCLUSION: The results show that dizziness between panic attacks may warrant audiovestibular testing among other medical investigations.     

130例代谢综合征患者经颅多普勒检测分析

目的探讨经颅多普勒在代谢综合征患者脑血管病变早期诊断中的应用价值。方法应用Multi-DopX4型TCD仪对130例代谢综合征患者进行经颅多普勒检测,并对其结果进行统计学分析。结果 112例呈现动脉硬化性病变,总异常率86.2%;其中43例在动脉硬化的基础上呈现节段性血流增快狭窄型改变,与对照组相比差异有统计学意义(χ2=60.35,P<0.01)。含有高血压的组合中,节段性血流增快狭窄型明显增多(χ2=11.57,P<0.05)。结论脑动脉硬化是代谢综合征患者早期常见的脑血管病变,高血压是代谢综合征患者脑血管狭窄型改变的重要原因。     

Effects of thiopental on middle cerebral artery blood velocities: a transcranial Doppler study in children

The effect of an intravenous injection of thiopental on middle cerebral artery blood velocities was assessed by transcranial pulsed Doppler monitoring in 20 children: ten head-injured patients and ten control subjects. Thiopental induced a moderate but immediate decrease of middle cerebral artery blood velocities in both groups; this variation was significant (P<0.01) and more prolonged in the head-injured than in control patients. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography thus appears to be suitable for monitoring children in intensive care units and could help to avoid the use of thiopental in patients with low cerebral artery blood flow velocity.     

Mirror-Image Artifact Can Affect Transcranial Doppler Interpretation

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) allows evaluation of blood-flow velocity in intracranial arteries detection and monitoring of vasospasm in patients with subarachnoid hemorrhage. Spectral Doppler artifacts can affect TCD data. A 1-month series of TCD findings showed marked fluctuation in blood-flow velocity values in both the middle and anterior cerebral arteries of a patient with subarachnoid hemorrhage. A mirror-image artifact of the Doppler fast Fourier transform velocity spectrum resulted in erroneous interpretation of higher flow velocity in certain vessels. This artifact may cause misinterpretation of TCD flow-velocity data and lead to improper diagnosis of the condition and treatment of patients.     

Decreased blood flow of temporal regions of the brain in subjects with panic disorder

OBJECT: The purpose of the current study was to investigate alterations of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in subjects with panic disorder. METHODS: Twenty-two subjects with panic disorder who were under psychotropic medications and 25 age and gender-matched healthy comparison subjects were assessed regarding the rCBF of using Tc-99m-hexamethyl propylenamino oxime single photon emission tomography (SPECT). Using statistical parametric mapping, the rCBF was compared between panic disorder and healthy comparison groups. RESULTS: Decreased rCBF flow in right superior temporal lobe was observed in subjects with panic disorder (p<0.05 after correction for multiple comparisons). The rCBF in right superior temporal gyrus negatively correlated with the duration of illness, scores of panic disorder severity scale (PDSS), Hamilton anxiety rating scale (HARS) and Zung self-rating anxiety scale (Z-SAS). CONCLUSION: We report that there is a decreased cerebral blood flow of temporal regions of the brain in panic disorder and that this decrease may, in part, reflect the clinical severity of panic disorder.     

经颅多普勒评价颅缝早闭症手术前后脑血流动力学变化

目的:利用经颅多普勒(TCD)技术监测颅缝早闭症患儿手术前后脑血流动力学变化,评价颅缝早闭症手术的减压效果。方法:11例患儿按年龄分3个年龄组:0～3岁组4例;4～7岁组5例;11岁组2例。TCD以双侧大脑中动脉为靶血管,记录患儿手术前后的脑血流速度[收缩峰速度(Vs)和舒张期速度(Vd)]和搏动指数(PI),同时记录血压和脉搏数。结果:0～3岁组,手术后Vs、Vd明显提高(P<0.05),PI明显降低(P>0.05),4例患儿头颅X线平片均见指压纹;4～7岁组,手术后Vs、Vd提高,PI降低(P<0.05);11岁组,手术后Vs、Vd、PI改变不明显(P>0.05)。结论:手术对于改善较小患儿脑血流速度和PI的作用显著;对于稍大患儿舒张期脑血流的改善较收缩期血流明显、PI明显降低。提示手术减压效果明显,TCD可作为非损伤性评价颅狭症手术效果的简便工具。     

Hyperventilation-induced cerebral ischemia in panic disorder and effect of nimodipine.

Basilar artery blood flow was measured by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography before and during hyperventilation in nine patients with panic disorder and nine normal comparison subjects. The hyperventilation-induced decrease in basilar artery blood flow was significantly greater in patients with panic attacks than in comparison subjects. Two patients with decreases in basilar flow greater than 80% were successfully treated with nimodipine, a centrally active calcium channel blocker.     

Arterial pulsatility as an index of cerebral microangiopathy in diabetes

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: This study was designed to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes related to diabetes mellitus (DM) with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD). METHODS: We measured the flow velocities and the Gosling pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery (MCA), extracranial internal carotid artery (ICA), and basilar artery (BA) in 56 stroke-free, normotensive patients with type 2 DM and 70 age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the presence of microvascular complications such as retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. RESULTS: Patients showed slightly lower hematocrit and higher serum fibrinogen levels than control subjects, but other clinical profiles, including stroke risk factors except for diabetes, were comparable between patients and controls. The flow velocity of the ICA but not the MCA and BA in patients regardless of the complication was significantly higher than that in controls. The PIs of the MCA and ICA were significantly higher in patients with complication than those without complication, as well as in controls. The PI of the BA was also significantly higher, even in patients without complication, than in controls. The PIs of the MCA and ICA but not the BA were closely correlated with the duration of DM (r(2)=0.46 and 0.34, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: This study defines TCD findings of diabetes-related cerebral hemodynamic changes and suggests that the PI reflects microangiopathic changes of cerebral vessels.     

Changes in cerebral blood flow induced by passive and active elbow and hand movements

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) has been widely used to obtain information about changes in cerebral perfusion during monitor activity after stroke. This type of application is greatly limited when severe motor deficits are presnet that impede the performance of an active motor task. In this study, we explored the effect of performing passive arm movements on cerebral perfusion. Twenty healthy subjects were investigated. A bilateral TCD monitoring of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity was performed during the following experimental conditions: 1-min of active and passive flexion extension elbow movement and 1-min of active and passive dorsal extension hand movement. Each task was performed with both left and right arms. The percentage increase in flow velocity from rest to task performance was calculated. Each task produced a significantly greater increase in mean flow velocity in the contralateral MCA with respect to the ipsilateral. When comparing the effect of passive and active tasks, no significant difference in mean flow velocity changes recorded in the ipsilateral and the contralateral MCA was detected regarding either elbow or hand movements. These findings demonstrate the possibility of obtaining information about changes in hemispheric cerebral perfusion during passive movements involving elbow and hand. This type of application deserves further attention in the study of cerebral functional changes following cerebral lesions. Received: 30 May 2000 / Accepted: 24 July 2000     

Cerebral blood flow velocity after hyperventilation-induced vasoconstriction in hypertensive patients.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: The aim of our study was to evaluate by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography the dynamics of blood flow velocity changes in the middle cerebral artery during and after hypocapnia-induced vasoconstriction in untreated essential hypertensive patients. METHODS: Sixteen hypertensive patients (10 men and six women, 29-62 years of age) and 10 healthy control subjects (six men and four women, 30-62 years of age) were studied. Patients with mild-to-moderate essential hypertension (mean +/- SE blood pressure, 171/106 +/- 3/2 mm Hg) belonged to stage I or II of the World Health Organization classification. Mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery, arterial blood pressure, and end-tidal CO2 partial pressure were recorded at baseline, during 2-minute hyperventilation, and every 30 seconds up to 5 minutes after hyperventilation. RESULTS: End-tidal CO2 partial pressure values overlapped in the two groups throughout the study. Baseline values of mean blood flow velocity in hypertensive patients were similar to those in normotensive subjects (mean +/- SE values, 64.7 +/- 3.9 cm/sec versus 58.6 +/- 3.7 cm/sec). A similar fall in mean blood flow velocity was observed in hypertensive patients and normotensive subjects (43.2 +/- 2.8% versus 46.7 +/- 3.6%). Mean blood flow velocity reverted to baseline more quickly in hypertensive patients: 1.5 minutes after hyperventilation, mean blood flow velocity was 60.7 +/- 3.1% and 84.9 +/- 1.8% of control in normotensive subjects and hypertensive patients, respectively. No changes in arterial blood pressure were observed in either group throughout the study. CONCLUSIONS: This study demonstrates that the recovery of blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery after hyperventilation is faster in hypertensive patients than in normal subjects, thus providing further evidence that chronic hypertension is associated with changes in the dynamics of cerebral blood vessel reactivity.     

Cerebral hemodynamic response induced by the Tower of Hanoi puzzle and the Wisconsin Card Sorting test

Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) was applied in normal subjects to investigate the effect of prefrontal functions like the Tower of Hanoi (TOH) task and the Wisconsin Card Sorting test (WCST) on cerebral hemodynamics. In 20 healthy volunteers, left and right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and anterior cerebral artery (ACA) were insonated. The TOH task and the WCST were administered while cerebral blood flow velocity (CBFV) was registered. Each test was repeated once per artery pair. There was a visuomotor test to control the motor and visual stimulations. Three phases of CBFV time course were detected: an initial peak within 5 s, a following decrease within 25 s and a steady state beginning at 40 s. The TOH task, WCST and visuomotor tests had different mean CBFV during the initial peak (MCA: P<0.05; ACA: P<0.05) as well as for the decrease (ACA: P<0.01) and the steady state (MCA: P<0.01; ACA: P<0.01). The TOH showed an increased mean CBFV as compared with the WCST during the steady state (MCA: P<0.01; ACA: P<0.05). However, temporal modulation of mean CBFV during category shift of the WCST resulted in significantly increased values after category shift (MCA: P<0.001; ACA: P<0.01) as compared with CBFV before the category shift. These findings showed a different CBFV pattern during the TOH task and WCST than during the visuomotor test. In conclusion, TCD was able to assess CBFV in prefrontal functions, using a high resolution in time.     

Transcranial Doppler in acute hemispheric brain infarction

We studied cerebrovascular anatomy using intra-arterial digital angiography, and blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography in 42 patients with acute hemispheric ischemic brain infarction. We compared angiography with TCD and the clinical findings within 6 hours of the onset of symptoms. The location and extent of the chronic ischemic brain damage was assessed by CT performed 1 to 3 months after the ictus. Abnormal TCD, as manifested by either an unobtainable MCA flow signal or a significantly depressed MCA flow velocity, was highly associated with proximal MCA occlusions demonstrated by angiography. Abnormal TCD predicted both larger chronic CT lesions and more extensive ischemic change within the MCA territory. These data demonstrate that early TCD conveys useful information concerning cerebral tissue prognosis following hemispheric ischemia.     

Effects of the ultrasound contrast-enhancing agent Levovist on the detection of intracranial arteries and stenoses in chinese by transcranial Doppler ultrasound

Proper assessment of intracranial arteries by transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) in patients with intracranial stenoses is occasionally made difficult by an insufficient temporal bone window, an unfavourable insonation angle, or low flow velocity or volume. This condition is frequently found in Chinese. In these cases, echocontrast could be helpful. We investigated 48 temporal windows of 24 acute Chinese stroke patients with insufficient native transtemporal insonation conditions before and after the application of the echo enhancer Levovist (galactose/palmitic acid) by an injection pump. We classified the signal quality from four segments of the main intracranial arteries: anterior cerebral artery (A1), main stem of the middle cerebral artery (MCA, M1), intracranial segment of the carotid artery (C1), and posterior cerebral artery (P1). The signal quality was classified as follows: 0 = no signal, 1 = poor, envelope curve does not follow spectrum, 2 = adequate, envelope curve follows spectrum. As compared to the pre-contrast scans, echocontrast allowed for more segments to be evaluated by pulsed Doppler sonography. Before Levovist, only 12% of the segments could be detected, after Levovist 63%. For all arteries, signal quality was better after Levovist, p between 0.0180 and 0.0003. In 3 patients, MCA stenoses with peak systolic Doppler flow velocities above 160 cm/s were found only after Levovist. In patients with poor pre-contrast detection, echocontrast-enhanced TCD allows for more arterial segments to be insonated and for the detection of stenoses unnoted during the non-enhanced investigation.     

Control for Carbon DioxideRelated Changes in Flow Velocity by Transcranial Doppler Monitoring

Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography can monitor changes in intracranial blood flow velocity over time in a variety of experimental and clinical settings with excellent temporal resolution. Alterations in arterial carbon dioxide pressure exert a profound influence on blood flow velocity. Such changes exhibit important individual fluctuation depending on respiratory status. This limits the ability of transcranial Doppler to accurately study subtle changes in blood flow velocity, independent of the respiratory state of the subject. Suggested here is a method to control for the respiration artifact on blood flow velocity. The middle cerebral artery of 7 healthy male volunteers was studied with transcranial Doppler under resting conditions, monitoring end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration and blood flow velocity. Hyperventilation was performed both voluntarily and with pharmacological induction by human corticotropin-releasing hormone. These studies were carried out both with and without the use of counterregulation of the end-tidal carbon dioxide concentration via a respiration unit, with an adjustable carbon dioxide-oxygen gas supply preventing significant changes in end-tidal carbon dioxide. The blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery during maximal voluntary hyperventilation decreased from baseline values of 100% to 44.4 ± 4.3% (a 55.6% decrease), and with human corticotropin- releasing hormone-induced involuntary hyperventilation, to 65.1 ± 5.3% (a 34.9% decrease). With the control method, blood flow velocities during voluntary and pharmacological hyperventilation were 100 ± 1.6% and 100 ± 2.8%, respectively. This method allows for control of respiration-induced artifacts during transcranial Doppler monitoring, and can be used to assess the effect of direct or indirect blood flow velocity stimuli independent of respiratory status.