FUNCTIONAL TRANSCRANIAL DOPPLEROGRAPHY IN CAROTID-ARTERY ATHEROSCLEROSIS

Transcranial dopplerography (TDG) examination of the blood flow along the major intracranial arteries and cerebral vascular response to func tional loads was performed in 51 patients with stenosis and/or occlusi on of the internal carotid artery (ICA). The measurements were made on the equipment ''Quantascope-103 PC'' (Scimed, England). 74% (26 patie nts) of ICA occlusion subjects had asymmetry of the linear circulation rate (LCR) in the middle-size cerebral arteries (MCA). It occurred wi th LCR inhibition on the ipsilateral to the occlusion side. In half of ICA stenosis patients the ipsilateral MSA circulation was also reduce d. The difference between the two groups in relation to MCA circulatio n asymmetry was significant (p<0.001). Nitroglycerin and hypercapnia t ests proved more informative than ortho- and antiorthostatic tests. A relationship was found out between overall stenosis of major brain art eries and blood flow along them.