The continuous and simultaneous blood flow velocity measurement of four cerebral vessels and a peripheral vessel during cigarette smoking

There has been no consensus about the acute effect of cigarette smoking on cerebral blood flow, and the continuous change of flow in four cerebral vessel flow with peripheral flow during different kinds of cigarette smoking has not been reported until now. Our results indicate smoking increases the flow of four cerebral vessels almost at the same time and with the same pattern. Many cerebral vessels began to show increases about 10 s after commencement. In most cases, cerebral blood velocity began to decrease between 10 and 20 s after cessation. Blood flow in peripheral vessels decreases after commencement, which is thought to be the effect of nicotine. The effect of high nicotine cigarettes is greater than that of low nicotine cigarettes. Continuous and simultaneous measurement of cerebral vessels by ultrasonic Doppler is thought to be the only way to establish the detailed blood flow changes during smoking. Received: 4 February 1996/Final version: 8 January 1997