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Vascular reactivity in middle cerebral artery and basilar artery by transcranial Doppler in normals subjects during hypoxia

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Abstract

The anatomical and physiological differences between the carotid and vertebrobasilar circulations suggest the possibility of a different response to variations in systemic pO2.

We evaluated cerebrovascular response (CR) in these two systems by monitoring variations in the blood flow velocities in the middle cerebral and basilar arteries during hypoxia.

Eighteen healthy, non-smoking volunteers underwent transcranial Doppler study during a state of hypoxia obtained by means of the rebreathing method. Oxyhaemoglobin saturation (SaO2) was monitored using a pulsoxymeter in the 88–94% range. The cerebral blood flow velocity (BFV) was measured in the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the basilar artery (BA).

Our findings indicate that the mean blood flow velocity (MFV) in the BA changes at a lower rate than that in the MCA during hypoxia.

Sommario

Le differenze anatomiche e funzionali tra la circolazione carotidea e vertebrobasilare suggeriscono la possibilità di una diversa risposta alle variazioni della PaO2 sistemica.

Abbiamo valutato la risposta cerebrovascolare in questi due sistemi monitorando le variazioni della velocità di flusso ematico nell'arteria cerebrale media e nell'arteria basilare durante ipossia. Diciotto volontari sani, non fumatori, sono stati sottoposti a studio Doppler Transcraniale durante ipossia ottenuta con il metodo del rebreathing. La saturazione della ossiemoglobina (SaO2) è stata monitorata con un pulsossimetro (Minolta Pulsox 7) con un ambito di variazione da 88 a 94%. La velocità del flusso ematico cerebrale è stata misurata nell'arteria cerebrale media e nell'arteria basilare. I nostri risultati indicano che, durante l'ipossia, la velocità media del flusso ematico si modifica in misura minore nell'arteria basilare che nell'arteria cerebrale media.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Divisione Neurologia, Ospedale di Cittadella, v. Casa di Ricovero 40, 35013

    Garbin L., Habetswallner F. & Clivati A.

  2. Divisione di Medicina Interna, Ospedale di Sesto S. Giovanni, Sesto S. Giovanni, Italy

    Garbin L., Habetswallner F. & Clivati A.

Authors
  1. Garbin L.
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  2. Habetswallner F.
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  3. Clivati A.
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Garbin, L., Habetswallner, F. & Clivati, A. Vascular reactivity in middle cerebral artery and basilar artery by transcranial Doppler in normals subjects during hypoxia. Ital J Neuro Sci 18, 135–137 (1997). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02048480

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02048480

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