Skip to main content

Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Pulsatility Index: Utility and Clinical Interpretation

  • Chapter
  • First Online:
Neurosonology in Critical Care

Abstract

Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS) are valuable real-time neurologic monitoring tools in the ICU. Pulsatility index (PI) is one of the most important hemodynamic parameters provided by TCD/TCCS, which allows one to assess the cerebral hemodynamic changes in a patient with acute neurological injury. Here, we focus on the clinical utility of PI to guide clinical management.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 139.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD 179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

References

  1. Hakimi R, et al. Neuro-ultrasonography. Neurol Clin. 2020;38:215–29.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Aaslid R, et al. Noninvasive transcranial Doppler ultrasound recording of ow velocity in basal cerebral arteries. J Neurosurg. 1982;57(6):769–74.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Bartels E. Transcranial color-coded duplex ultrasonography in routine cerebrovascular diagnostics. Pers Med. 2012;1:325–30.

    Google Scholar 

  4. Wagshul, et al. The pulsating brain: a review of experimental and clinical studies of intracranial pulsatility. Fluids Barriers CNS. 2011;8:5.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  5. Lahiri S, et al. Cerebral Pulsatility index is elevated in patients with elevated right atrial pressure. J Nerurosurg. 2017;28(1):95–8.

    Google Scholar 

  6. Gosling RG, et al. Arterial assessment by Doppler-shift ultrasound. Proc R Soc Med. 1974;67(6 Pt 1):447–9.

    CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  7. De Riva N, et al. Transcranial Doppler pulsatility index: what it is and what it isn’t. Neurocrit Care. 2012;17:58–66.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Naqvi J, et al. Transcranial Doppler ultrasound: a review of the physical principles and major applications in critical care. Int J Vasc Med. 2013;2013:13.

    Google Scholar 

  9. Robba C, et al. Transcranial Doppler: a stethoscope for the brain-neurocritical cara use. J Neuro Res. 2018;96(4):720–30.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Cardim D, et al. Non-invasive monitoring of intracranial pressure using transcranial Doppler ultrasonography: is it possible? Neurocrit Care. 2016;25(3):473–91.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  11. Schreiber SJ, et al. Transcranial duplex ultrasound of the ophthalmic artery. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2006;32(3):309–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Rojanapongpun P, et al. Ophthalmic artery flow velocity in glaucomatosus and normal subjects. Br J Ophthalmol. 1993;77:25–9.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  13. Schöning M, et al. Comparative study of transcranial color duplex sonography in adults. J Neurosurg. 1993;78:776–84.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Rigamonti A, et al. Transcranial doppler monitoring in subarachnoid hemorrhage: a critical tool in critical care. Can J Anaesth. 2008;55:112–23.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Martin PJ, et al. Transcranial Color-Coded sonography of the basal cerebral circulation: reference data from 115 volunteers. Stroke. 1994;25(2):390–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Moppet IK. Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in anaesthesia and intensive care. Br J Anaesth. 2004;93(5):710–24.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Tegeler CH, et al. Transcranial Doppler velocities in a large, healthy population. J Neuroimaging. 2013;23(3):466–72.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Yang D, et al. Cerebral Hemosynamics in the elderly: Tranncranial Doppler study in the Einstein Aging study cohort. J Ultrasound Med. 2016;35(9):1907–14.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  19. Donelly J, et al. Regulation of the cerebral circulation: bedside assessment and clinical implications. Crit Care. 2016;20:129.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  20. Giller CA, et al. Transcranial Doppler pulsatility in vasodilation and stenosis. J Neurosurg. 1990;72(6):901–6.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Lau VI, Arntfield RT. Point-of-care transcranial Doppler by intensivists. Crit Ultrasound J. 2017;9:21.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  22. Hsu HY, et al. Correlations among critical closing pressure, pulsatility index and cerebrovascular resistance. Ultrasound Med Biol. 2004;30(10):1329–35.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Czosnyka M, et al. Monitoring and interpretation of intracranial pressure. J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry. 2004;75:813–21.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  24. Guidelines for the management of severe traumatic brain injury: indications for intracranial pressure monitoring. 4th ed. Brain Trauma Foundation; 2016.

    Google Scholar 

  25. Nag DS, et al. Intracranial pressure monitoring: gold standard and recent innovations. World J Clin Cases. 2019;7(13):1535–53.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  26. Marmarou A, et al. Contribution of raised ICP and hypotension to CPP reduction in severe brain injury: correlation to outcome. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2005;95:277–80.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  27. Aiolfi A, et al. Brain trauma foundation guidelines for intracranial pressure monitoring: compliance and effect on outcome. World J Surg. 2017;41(6):1543–9.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  28. Balestreri M, et al. Impact of intracranial pressure and cerebral perfusion pressure on severe disability and mortality after head injury. Neurocrit Care. 2006;4:8–13.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  29. Moreno J, et al. Evaluating the outcome of severe head injury with transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Neurosurg Focus. 2000;8(1):1–7.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  30. Forsyth RJ, Raper J, Todhunter E. Routine intracranial pressure monitoring in acute coma. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2015;11:CD002043.

    Google Scholar 

  31. Tavakoli S, et al. Complications of invasive intracranial pressure monitoring devices in neurocritical care. Neurosurg Focus. 2017;43(5):E6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  32. Dimitriou J, et al. Comparison of complications in patients receiving different types of intracranial pressure monitoring: a retrospective study in a single center in Switzerland. World Neurosurg. 2016;89:641–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  33. Bauer DF, et al. Meta-analysis of hemorrhagic complications from ventriculostomy placement by neurosurgeons. Neurosurgery. 2011;69:255–60.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Binz DD, et al. Hemorrhagic complications of ventriculostomy placement: a meta-analysis. Neurocrit Care. 2009;10:253–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  35. Bellner J, et al. Transcranial Doppler sonography pulsatility index (PI) reflects intracranial pressure (ICP). Surg Neurol. 2004;62(1):45–51.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Carney, et al. Guidelines for the management of severe traumatic brain injury, fourth edition. Neurosurgery. 2017;80(1):6–15.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  37. Wakerley BR, et al. Usefulness of transcranial Doppler-derived cerebral hemodynamic parameters in the noninvasive assessment of intracranial pressure. J Neuroimaging. 2015;25:111–6.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  38. Splavski B, et al. Assessment of intracranial pressure after severe traumatic brain injury by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Brain Inj. 2006;20:1265–70.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  39. Homburg AM, et al. Transcranial Doppler recordings in raised intracranial pressure. Acta Neurol Scand. 1993;87:488–93.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  40. Ragauskas A, et al. Innovative non-invasive method for absolute intracranial pressure measurement without calibration. Acta Neurochir Suppl. 2005;95:357–61.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Gura M, et al. Correlation of pulsatility index with intracranial pressure in traumatic brain injury. Turk Neurosurg. 2011;21(2):210–5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  42. Kingelhofer J, et al. Evaluation of intracranial pressure from transcranial Doppler studies in cerebral disease. J Neurol. 1988;235:159–62.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  43. Czosnyka M, et al. Relationship between transcranial doppler-determined pulsatility index and cerebrovascular resistance: an experimental study. J Neurosurg. 1996;84:79–84.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  44. Calviello LA, et al. Relationship between brain Pulsatility and cerebral perfusion pressure: replicated validation using different drivers of CPP change. Neurocrit Care. 2017;27:392–400.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  45. Robba C, et al. Ultrasound non-invasive measurement of intracranial pressure in neurointensive care: a prospective observational study. PLoS Med. 2017;14(7):e1002356.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  46. Budohoski KP, et al. Monitoring cerebral autoregulation after head injury. Which component of transcranial Doppler flow velocity is optimal? Neurocrit Care. 2012;17(2):211–8.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  47. Viski S, Olah L. Use of transcranial Doppler in intensive care unit. J Crit Care Med. 2017;3(3):99–104.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  48. Mokri B. The Monro-Kellie hypothesis: applications in CSF volume depletion. Neurology. 2001;56(12):1746–8.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  49. Verein M, et al. Dynamics of extravascular Pulmonary water and intracranial pressure in patient with ischemic stroke. Sage J. 2010;14(4):226–30.

    Google Scholar 

  50. Corradi F, et al. Combined lung and brain ultrasonography for an individualized “brain-protective ventilation strategy” in neurocritical care patients with challenging ventilation needs. Crit Ultrasound J. 2018;10:24.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  51. de Azevedo DS, et al. Cerebral hemodynamics in sepsis assessed by transcranial Doppler: a systematic review and meta-analysis. J Clin Monit Comput. 2017;31(6):1123–32.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  52. Pierrakos C, et al. Cerebral perfusion alterations and cognitive decline in critically ill sepsis survivors. Acta Clin Belg. 2017;72(1):39–44.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  53. Razumovsky AY, et al. Cerebral vasculitis: diagnosis and follow-up with transcranial doppler ultrasonography. J Neuroimaging. 2001;11(3):333–5.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  54. Egido JA, et al. Takayasu’s arteritis: transcranial Doppler findings and follow-up. J Neurosurg Sci. 1996;40(2):121–4.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  55. Terasawa Y, et al. Transcaranial color-coded sonography findings of patients with Reversible Cerebral Vasoconstriction Syndrome. J Clin Neurosci. 2019;61:290–1.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  56. Morgenlander JC, et al. Transcranial doppler sonography to monitor cerebral vasculitis. J Rheumatol. 1996;23(3):561–3.

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  57. Rajajee V, et al. Low Pulsatility index on transcranial Doppler predicts symptomatic large-vessel vasospasm after aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurosurgery. 2012;70(5):1195–206.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  58. Stretti F, et al. Body temperature affects cerebral hemodynamics in acutely brain injured patients: an observational transcranial color-coded duplex sonography study. Crit Care. 2014;18:552.

    Article  PubMed  PubMed Central  Google Scholar 

  59. Hata R, et al. Effects of hemodialysis on cerebral circulation evaluated by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography. Stroke. 1994;25:408–12.

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  60. Fiermonte G, et al. Polycythaemia Vera and cerebral blof flow: a preliminary study with transcranial doppler. J Intern Med. 1993;234(6):595–602.

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Camilo N. Rodríguez .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

Algorithm

Algorithm

figure a

SE status epilepticus, NCSE non-convulsive status epilepticus, CNS central nervous system, PRL pupillary light reflex, MLS middle-line shift, SSEPs somatosensory evoked potentials, ABCD airway, breathing, circulation, disability, SjvO 2 jugular bulb venous oxygen saturation, PbtO 2 brain tissue oxygen tensión, MRI magnetic resonance imaging, ←→ inter-related, CMD cerebral microdialysis

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2022 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this chapter

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this chapter

Pinillos, O.M., Rodríguez, C.N., Hakimi, R. (2022). Transcranial Doppler Ultrasound Pulsatility Index: Utility and Clinical Interpretation. In: Rodríguez, C.N., et al. Neurosonology in Critical Care . Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81419-9_21

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-81419-9_21

  • Published:

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Cham

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-030-81418-2

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-030-81419-9

  • eBook Packages: MedicineMedicine (R0)

Publish with us

Policies and ethics