Cerebrovascular reactivity and vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage : A pilot study

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 66; no. 5; pp. 727 - 729
• Main Authors: FRONTERA, J. A, RUNDEK, T, SCHMIDT, J. M, CLAASSEN, J, PARRA, A, WARTENBERG, K. E, TEMES, R. E, MAYER, S. A, MOHR, J. P, MARSHALL, R. S
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 14-03-2006
• Subjects: Adult; Aged; Biological and medical sciences; Carbon Dioxide - blood; Hormones. Endocrine system; Humans; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Neurology; Pharmacology. Drug treatments; Pilot Projects; Prospective Studies; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - diagnostic imaging; Subarachnoid Hemorrhage - physiopathology; Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial; Vascular diseases and vascular malformations of the nervous system; Vasospasm, Intracranial - diagnostic imaging; Vasospasm, Intracranial - etiology; Vasomotricity; Nervous system diseases; Reactivity; Subarachnoid hemorrhage; Vasoconstriction; Cardiovascular disease; Vasospasm
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000200777.96896.3d

The authors performed serial transcranial Doppler (TCD) and carbon dioxide reactivity (CO2R) testing in 20 aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage patients to determine whether impaired cerebrovascular reactivity was associated with symptomatic vasospasm. Symptomatic vasospasm occurred in 9 of 14 patients with abnormal CO2R and in none of 6 patients with preserved reactivity (p = 0.011). Abnormal CO2R preceded the onset of vasospasm in 7 of 9 patients. Abnormal standard TCD testing was not associated with vasospasm.