scholarly journals Cerebral microbleeds and hemodynamic changes in individuals with cognitive impairment

2021 ◽  
Vol 26 (3) ◽  
pp. 553-560
Author(s):  
Eun Ye Lim ◽  
Dong Won Yang ◽  
A Hyun Cho ◽  
Yong S. Shim

Background & Objective: Cerebral microbleeds (CMBs) are considered key markers of small vessel pathology linking mechanisms relating to ischemic and amyloid related vascular damage in Alzheimer disease (AD). We aim to investigate the differences of hemodynamic markers between patients with and without CMBs who presented with cognitive decline using transcranial Doppler (TCD) ultrasonography. Methods: We consecutively enrolled patients who were diagnosed with mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and probable AD dementia from May 2011 to December 2012. Using TCD ultrasonography, cerebrovascular reactivity (CVR) was evaluated with hyperventilation (HV) and breath-holding (BH) tests in addition to mean flow velocity (MFV) and pulsatility index (PI) of the middle cerebral artery. The number and location of CMBs were visually analyzed by two independent neurologists. Results: A total of 134 patients (probable AD, n=81; MCI, n=53) were enrolled in this study. Among them, 28 (20.9%) patients had CMBs; 18 (64.3%) lobar CMBs, 7 (25.0%) non-lobar CMBs. Patients with CMBs showed reduced MFV, higher resistance index value, and lower CVR compared with patients without CMBs after adjusting for age, vascular risk factors, and white matter hyperintensity. Multiple regression models showed that PI was dependent on age and presence of CMBs in frontal and parietal areas. CVR was closely associated with WMH severity and presence of CMBs in temporal. Conclusions: Our study showed that patients with CMBs had higher microvascular resistance and decreased cerebrovascular autoregulation compared to those without.

Neurology ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 95 (10) ◽  
pp. e1333-e1340 ◽  
Author(s):  
Aaron R. Switzer ◽  
Ikreet Cheema ◽  
Cheryl R. McCreary ◽  
Angela Zwiers ◽  
Anna Charlton ◽  
...  

ObjectiveTo assess cerebrovascular reactivity in response to a visual task in participants with cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA), Alzheimer disease (AD), and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) using fMRI.MethodsThis prospective cohort study included 40 patients with CAA, 22 with AD, 27 with MCI, and 25 healthy controls. Each participant underwent a visual fMRI task using a contrast-reversing checkerboard stimulus. Visual evoked potentials (VEPs) were used to compare visual cortex neuronal activity in 83 participants. General linear models using least-squares means, adjusted for multiple comparisons with the Tukey test, were used to estimate mean blood oxygen level–dependent (BOLD) signal change during the task and VEP differences between groups.ResultsAfter adjustment for age and hypertension, estimated mean BOLD response amplitude was as follows: CAA 1.88% (95% confidence interval [CI] 1.60%–2.15%), AD 2.26% (1.91%–2.61%), MCI 2.15% (1.84%–2.46%), and control 2.65% (2.29%–3.00%). Only patients with CAA differed from controls (p = 0.01). In the subset with VEPs, group was not associated with prolonged latencies or lower amplitudes. Lower BOLD amplitude response was associated with higher white matter hyperintensity (WMH) volumes in CAA (for each 0.1% lower BOLD response amplitude, the WMH volume was 9.2% higher, 95% CI 6.0%–12.4%) but not other groups (p = 0.002 for interaction) when controlling for age and hypertension.ConclusionsMean visual BOLD response amplitude was lowest in participants with CAA compared to controls, without differences in VEP latencies and amplitudes. This suggests that the impaired visual BOLD response is due to reduced vascular reactivity in CAA. In contrast to participants with CAA, the visual BOLD response amplitude did not differ between those with AD or MCI and controls.


2018 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 985-991 ◽  
Author(s):  
Randolph S Marshall ◽  
Ronald M Lazar ◽  
David S Liebeskind ◽  
E Sander Connolly ◽  
George Howard ◽  
...  

Rationale For patients with asymptomatic high-grade carotid stenosis, clinical investigations have focused on preventing cerebral infarction, yet stenosis that reduces cerebral blood flow may independently impair cognition. Whether revascularization of a hemodynamically significant carotid stenosis can alter the course of cognitive decline has never been investigated in the context of a randomized clinical trial. Hypothesis Among patients randomized in the Carotid Revascularization and Medical Management for Asymptomatic Carotid Stenosis (CREST-2) trials, the magnitude of treatment differences (revascularization versus medical management alone) with regard to cognition will differ between those with flow impairment compared to those without flow impairment. Sample size We will enroll approximately 500 patients from CREST-2, of which we anticipate 100 will have hemodynamic impairment. We estimate 93% power to detect a clinically meaningful treatment difference of 0.5 SD. Methods and design We will use perfusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging to stratify by hemodynamic status. Linear regression will compare treatment differences, controlling for baseline cognitive status, age, depression, prior cerebral infarcts, silent infarction, white matter hyperintensity volume, and cerebral microbleeds. Study outcomes The primary outcome is change in cognition at one year. Secondary outcomes include silent infarction, change in white matter hyperintensity volume, number of cerebral microbleeds, and cortical thickness over one year. Discussion If cognitive impairment can be shown to be reversible by revascularization, then we can redefine “symptomatic carotid stenosis” to include cognitive impairment and identify a new population of patients likely to benefit from revascularization. Trial Registration US National Institutes of Health (NIH) clinicaltrials.gov NCT03121209


Cephalalgia ◽  
1999 ◽  
Vol 19 (5) ◽  
pp. 492-496 ◽  
Author(s):  
G Fiermonte ◽  
A Annulli ◽  
F Pierelli

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) recording was used to evaluate the mean flow velocity (MFV) and cerebrovascular reactivity to CO2 in 21 migraineurs during the interictal phase. Nine were affected by migraine with aura (MwA) and 12 by migraine without aura (MwoA). During each session the middle cerebral artery (MCA) flow velocity was examined in basal conditions, in hypocapnia after a 3-min period of hyperventilation, in basal conditions a second time, and in hypercapnia after breath-holding. The same procedure was followed in a group of 21 age-and sex-matched volunteers. Recordings were performed before (T1), during (T2), and after (T3) prophylactic treatment with flunarizine (10 mg/day for 2 months) to assess the possible effect of this drug on cerebral hemodynamics. In basal condition, increased MFV values were found in both MwA and MwoA patients. In MwA patients the reactivity index (RI) to hypocapnia was significantly increased in T1 ( p < 0.05). This abnormal cerebrovascular reactivity disappeared during flunarizine treatment (T2) and in the post-therapy period (T3).


Neurology ◽  
2019 ◽  
Vol 92 (4) ◽  
pp. e342-e350 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mi Ji Lee ◽  
Bo-Yong Park ◽  
Soohyun Cho ◽  
Hyunjin Park ◽  
Chin-Sang Chung

ObjectiveTo evaluate the association between the cerebrovascular reactivity to carbon dioxide (CO2-CVR) and the deep white matter hyperintensity (WMH) burden in patients with migraine.MethodsA total of 86 nonelderly patients with episodic migraine without vascular risk factors and 35 headache-free controls underwent 3T MRI. Deep WMHs were quantified with a segmentation method developed for nonelderly migraineurs. The interictal CO2-CVR was measured with transcranial Doppler with the breath-holding method. The mean breath-holding index of the bilateral middle cerebral arteries (MCA-BHI) was square root transformed and analyzed with univariate and multivariate logistic regression models to determine its association with the highest tertiles of deep WMH burden (number and volume).ResultsA low MCA-BHI was independently associated with the highest tertile of deep WMH number in patients with migraine (adjusted odds ratio [OR] 0.02, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.0007–0.63, p = 0.026). In controls, the MCA-BHI was not associated with deep WMH number. Interaction analysis revealed that migraine modified the effect of MCA-BHI on deep WMH number (p for interaction = 0.029). The MCA-BHI was not associated with increased deep WMH volume in both patients and controls. Age was independently associated with deep WMH volume in patients (adjusted OR 1.07, 95% CI 1.004–1.15, p = 0.037).ConclusionsIn this study, we found a migraine-specific association between a reduced CVR to apnea and increased number of deep WMHs in healthy, nonelderly patients with migraine. A dysfunctional vascular response to apnea may predispose migraineurs to an increased risk of WMHs.


2015 ◽  
Vol 118 (11) ◽  
pp. 1356-1363 ◽  
Author(s):  
Changbin Yang ◽  
Yuan Gao ◽  
Danielle K. Greaves ◽  
Rodrigo Villar ◽  
Thomas Beltrame ◽  
...  

The hypothesis that cerebrovascular autoregulation was not impaired during head-up tilt (HUT) that followed brief exposures to varying degrees of prior head-down tilt (HDT) was tested in 10 healthy young men and women. Cerebral mean flow velocity (MFV) and cardiovascular responses were measured in transitions to a 60-s period of 75° HUT that followed supine rest (control) or 15 s HDT at −10°, −25°, and −55°. During HDT, heart rate (HR) was reduced for −25° and −55°, and cardiac output was lower at −55° HDT. MFV increased during −10° HDT, but not in the other conditions even though blood pressure at the middle cerebral artery (BPMCA) increased. On the transition to HUT, HR increased only for −55° condition, but stroke volume and cardiac output transiently increased for −25° and −55°. Total peripheral resistance index decreased in proportion to the magnitude of HDT and recovered over the first 20 s of HUT. MFV was significantly less in all HDT conditions compared with the control in the first 5-s period of HUT, but it recovered quickly. An autoregulation correction index derived from MFV recovery relative to BPMCA decline revealed a delay in the first 5 s for prior HDT compared with control but then a rapid increase to briefly exceed control after −55° HDT. This study showed that cerebrovascular autoregulation is modified by but not impaired by brief HDT prior to HUT and that cerebral MFV recovered quickly and more rapidly than arterial blood pressure to protect against cerebral hypoperfusion and potential syncope.


Cephalalgia ◽  
1998 ◽  
Vol 18 (3) ◽  
pp. 133-137 ◽  
Author(s):  
JG Heckmann ◽  
MJ Hilz ◽  
A Katalinic ◽  
H Marthol ◽  
M Mück-Weymann ◽  
...  

Background and purpose: Transcranial Doppler sonography (TCD) studies may help to elucidate the nature and role of vascular abnormalities in migraine. Our aim in this study was to evaluate cerebrovascular autoregulative response in migraine patients with and without aura to blood pressure increase using stress TCD. Patients and methods: Using transcranial Doppler ultrasound at rest and during ergometer stress (stress TCD), we studied the changes in mean flow velocities and resistance index (RI) in relation to physical stress in the middle cerebral artery. Fifteen migraine patients without aura, 15 migraine patients with aura, and 15 healthy control subjects were examined. Patients suffered from predominantly unilateral headache and were studied during an attack-free period. The Pourcelof's RI as a measure of cerebrovascular reactivity was calculated by dividing the difference between systolic and diastolic velocity by the systolic velocity. Results: None of the subgroups showed any difference during ergometer exercise with regard to blood pressure, endtidal CO2, heart rate, or mean flow velocity. In all subgroups, sufficient physical stress was achieved. With respect to RI change, migraine patients without aura and healthy controls did not differ ( p>0.05). However, the RI change of migraine patients with aura was significantly lower than the RI change of migraine patients without aura or healthy subjects ( p>0.05). The discrimination analysis showed in addition that RI change (absolute and as a percentage) and mean flow velocity change (as a percentage) could be used as diagnostic variables to detect patients with aura symptoms. Conclusion: Differences exist in cerebrovascular reactivity in migraine patients with aura that may contribute to the neurologic disturbances in these patients during attack. We propose that there is disorder of myogenic cerebrovascular autoregulation in migraine patients with aura during headache-free intervals.


2020 ◽  
pp. 0271678X2092710
Author(s):  
Soroush H Pahlavian ◽  
Xinhui Wang ◽  
Samantha Ma ◽  
Hong Zheng ◽  
Marlena Casey ◽  
...  

Increased cerebroarterial pulsations are thought to be contributing factors in microvascular damage and cognitive impairment. In this study, we assessed the utility of two-dimensional (2D) phase-contrast MRI (PC-MRI) in quantifying cerebroarterial pulsations and evaluated the associations of pulsatile and non-pulsatile hemodynamic measures with cognitive performance and white matter hyperintensities (WMH). Neurocognitive assessments on 50 elderly subjects were performed using clinical dementia rating (CDR) and Montreal cognitive assessment (MoCA). An electrocardiogram-gated 2D PC-MRI sequence was used to calculate mean flow rate, pulsatility index (PI), and resistivity index (RI) of the internal carotid artery. For each subject, whole brain global cerebral blood flow (gCBF) and relative WMH volume were also quantified. Elevated RI was significantly associated with reduced cognitive performance quantified using MoCA ( p =  0.04) and global CDR ( p =  0.02). PI and RI were both significantly associated with relative WMH volume ( p =  0.01, p <  0.01, respectively). However, non-pulsatile hemodynamic measures were not associated with cognitive impairment or relative WMH volume. This study showed that the cerebroarterial pulsatile measures obtained using PC-MRI have stronger association with the measures of cognitive impairment compared to global blood flow measurement and as such, might be useful as potential biomarkers of cerebrovascular dysfunction in preclinical populations.


1996 ◽  
Vol 16 (4) ◽  
pp. 746-749 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mauro Silvestrini ◽  
Elio Troisi ◽  
Maria Matteis ◽  
Letizia Maria Cupini ◽  
Giorgio Bernardi

Current smoking is a risk factor for stroke. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of smoking one cigarette on cerebral hemodynamics. Using transcranial Doppler ultrasound, we studied the changes of flow velocity after hypercapnia in the middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) of 24 healthy young smokers and 24 healthy controls matched for age and sex. We obtained hypercapnia with breath-holding and evaluated cerebrovascular reactivity with the breath-holding index. In smokers, the evaluation was performed during basal condition, immediately after smoking one cigarette, and at 10-, 20-, and 30-min intervals thereafter. In controls, the evaluation was performed at corresponding time intervals. Breath-holding index (BHI) values at rest were similar for both controls and smokers. In the former, breath-holding index values remained constant for each of the different evaluations. On the contrary, in smokers, breath-holding index values were significantly lower immediately ( p < 0.0001), at 10 min ( p < 0.001), and at 20 min ( p < 0.0001) after smoking with respect to baseline values. Smoking also caused more short-lasting changes, in this case increases in mean flow velocity (MFV), heart rate (HR), and mean blood pressure (MBP). These results suggest that a failure of cerebrovascular regulation occurs after smoking. This phenomenon might contribute to the increased risk of cerebrovascular disease in current smokers.


Pain Medicine ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 21 (11) ◽  
pp. 3012-3017
Author(s):  
Igor Petrušić ◽  
Ana Podgorac ◽  
Aleksandra Radojičić ◽  
Jasna Zidverc-Trajković

Abstract Background Previous studies suggest that increased cerebrovascular reactivity might be a feature of patients who have migraine with aura (MwA). The correlation between the clinical presentation of migraine with aura and transcranial Doppler parameters remains unclear. Objective The main aim of this study was to explore cerebral blood flow, vascular resistance, and cerebrovascular reactivity in women MwA. Also, the relationships between hemodynamic conditions and aura characteristics are examined. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Headache Center, Neurology Clinic, Clinical Center of Serbia. Subjects Fifty-four women MwA and 49 healthy controls (HCs). Methods Transcranial Doppler sonography examination was used to determine blood flow mean velocity (MV) and pulsatility index (PI), as well as breath-holding index (BHI), in 15 arterial segments comprising the circle of Willis. Results A total of 54 women MwA and 49 HCs were studied. The PIs of all segments of the left and right middle cerebral arteries and the left and right anterior cerebral arteries were significantly higher in MwA with regards to HCs. Also, both the left and right BHIs were significantly higher in MwA than HCs. In addition, MVs of the right vertebral artery and the first segment of the basilar artery were significantly lower in MwA than HCs. Longer duration of migraine aura showed a weak negative correlation with the PI of the left posterior cerebral artery. Conclusions Our findings suggest increased vessel pulsatility, abnormal cerebrovascular reactivity, and decreased cerebral blood flow velocity in several arterial segments of the Willis circle in women MwA.


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