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The Ratio of Flow Velocities in the Middle Cerebral and Internal Carotid Arteries for the Prediction of Cerebral Palsy in Term Neonates
Author(s) -
Fukuda Sumio,
Kato Takenori,
Kuwabara Satomi,
Kato Ineko,
Futamura Masahide,
Togari Hajime
Publication year - 2005
Publication title -
journal of ultrasound in medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.574
H-Index - 91
eISSN - 1550-9613
pISSN - 0278-4297
DOI - 10.7863/jum.2005.24.2.149
Subject(s) - medicine , cerebral palsy , anterior cerebral artery , middle cerebral artery , pediatrics , hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy , internal carotid artery , cerebral arteries , encephalopathy , cerebral blood flow , cardiology , anesthesia , ischemia , psychiatry
Objective This study evaluated whether the ratio of the mean flow velocities in the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and the internal carotid artery (ICA) of neonates in the first days of life can be used to identify future neurodevelopmental disabilities. Methods We observed 127 term neonates without congenital malformations, chromosomal aberrations, intracranial hemorrhage, or early onset sepsis. The mean cerebral blood flow velocities were measured in the right and left ICAs and in the right and left MCAs with a Doppler flowmeter once from day 1 to day 3. The Vm ratio was defined as the mean velocity in the right and left MCAs/mean velocity in the right and left ICAs. Neurologic examinations were performed at 12 months of age in the outpatient follow‐up clinic to detect cerebral palsy (CP), and the subjects were divided into 4 groups according to the diagnosis of hypoxic‐ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) and neurologic prognosis: HIE− and normal neurologic function, HIE− and CP, HIE+ and normal neurologic function, and HIE+ and CP. Results The Vm ratio in infants with the HIE− diagnosis and CP was significantly lower than that in infants with the HIE− diagnosis without CP ( P < .05). There was no significant difference between the Vm ratios in infants with the HIE+ diagnosis without CP and infants with the HIE+ diagnosis and CP. Conclusions The Vm ratio might be a useful index in estimating neurologic outcome at birth, especially in neonates without the diagnosis of HIE.