Non-invasive dynamic assessment of the elasticity of intracranial structures

The dynamics of the speed of transcranial propagation of ultrasonic impulses has been established in humans. The possibility of detecting the changes in mechanical state of intracranial structures by dynamic measurement of the time of transcranial propagation of ultrasonic impulses (TUPT) has been ascertained for 10 healthy persons and 11 patients with different neurological pathology. The cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFP) was simultaneously monitored for 4 of the patients. Spontaneous fluctuations in TUPT and the changes caused by jugular veins, inferior vena cava compression, hyperventilation and temporary retention of breathing were detected for all investigated subjects. Spontaneous TUPT changes in the range of 0.25-0.85 x 10(-4) of initial mean value, which are related with cardiac and respiratory cycles, have been found in healthy persons while in patients they ranged from 0.07 x 10(-4) to 4.5 x 10(-4) of mean time. In healthy persons bilateral jugular vein compression leads to a decrease in TUPT by 1.8-3.0 x 10(-4), while the compression of inferior vena cava gives an increase in TUPT by 1.6-2.6 x 10(-4). Changes in TUPT during these maneuvers in neurological patients were found to be of different amplitude and direction. The rise of CSFP by 8.4-20.2 mmHg (mean 12.4 mmHg) was observed in 4 investigated patients during the compression of jugular veins or during the inferior vena cava compression, while the changes in TUPT obtained during each of such maneuvers were of opposite character. The results suggest that dynamic evaluation of acoustic impedance of intracranial system reflects the changes in the mechanical state of brain parenchyma.