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Transcranial Doppler ultrasound blood flow velocity and pulsatility index as systemic indicators for Alzheimer's disease
Author(s) -
Roher Alex E.,
Garami Zsolt,
Tyas Suzanne L.,
Maarouf Chera L.,
Kokjohn Tyler A.,
Belohlavek Marek,
Vedders Linda J.,
Connor Donald,
Sabbagh Marwan N.,
Beach Thomas G.,
Emmerling Mark R.
Publication year - 2011
Publication title -
alzheimer's and dementia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 6.713
H-Index - 118
eISSN - 1552-5279
pISSN - 1552-5260
DOI - 10.1016/j.jalz.2010.09.002
Subject(s) - transcranial doppler , medicine , cardiology , cerebral blood flow , cerebral perfusion pressure , blood flow , hemodynamics , circle of willis
Background Multiple lines of evidence suggest that cardiovascular co‐morbidities hasten the onset of Alzheimer's disease (AD) or accelerate its course. Methods To evaluate the utility of cerebral vascular physical function and/or condition parameters as potential systemic indicators of AD, transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasound was used to assess cerebral blood flow and vascular resistance of the 16 arterial segments comprising the circle of Willis and its major tributaries. Results Our study showed that decreased arterial mean flow velocity and increased pulsatility index are associated with a clinical diagnosis of presumptive AD. Cerebral blood flow impairment shown by these parameters reflects the global hemodynamic and structural consequences of a multifaceted disease process yielding diffuse congestive microvascular pathology, increased arterial rigidity, and decreased arterial compliance, combined with putative age‐associated cardiovascular output declines. Conclusions TCD evaluation offers direct physical confirmation of brain perfusion impairment and might ultimately provide a convenient and a noninvasive means to assess the efficacy of medical interventions on cerebral blood flow or reveal incipient AD. In the near term, TCD‐based direct assessments of brain perfusion might offer the prospect of preventing or mitigating AD simply by revealing patients who would benefit from interventions to improve circulatory system function.