Skip to main content
Log in

Transcranial Doppler assessment of cerebral blood flow velocity in term newborns

  • Neonatology
  • Original Paper
  • Published:
European Journal of Pediatrics Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Using the transcranial Doppler technique to assess postnatal changes in cerebral blood flow velocity, we studied the anterior cerebral artery, middle cerebral artery, and internal carotid artery of 31 healthy, term newborn infants. Normative values for the 1st, 3rd, and 5th days of life were determined. Cerebral blood flow velocity values in all three arteries examined correlated well with each other and we observed a statistically significant increase only in middle cerebral artery blood flow velocity between the 1st and 3rd, and 1st and 5th postnatal days. Thus, if we assume that flow velocities in various cerebral arteries undergo similar change, only one representative artery need be examined. The middle cerebral artery appears to be the vessel of choice. This choice simplifies the recording procedure, particularly in repeated examinations.

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

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

Abbreviations

ACA :

anterior cerebral artery

CBF :

cerebral blood flow

ICA :

internal carotid artery

MCA :

middle cerebral artery

RI :

resistance index

TCD :

transcranial Doppler ultrasound

Vd :

diastolic blood flow velocity

Vm :

mean blood flow velocity

Vs :

systolic blood flow velocity

References

  1. Bode H (1988) Techniques of examining cerebral hemodynamics. In: Bode H (ed) Pediatric applications of transcranial Doppler Sonography. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 8–15

    Google Scholar 

  2. Bode H (1988) Physiological influences on cerebral hemodynamics. In: Bode H (ed) Pediatric applications of transcranial Doppler sonography. Springer, Berlin Heidelberg New York, pp 84–93

    Google Scholar 

  3. Bor M, Walther FD (1991) Cerebral blood flow velocity in healthy term infants. Am J Med Sci 301(2):91–96

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Fenton AC, Shortland DB, Papathoama E, et al (1990) Normal range for blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries of newly born term infants. Early Hum Dev 22:73–79

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Giulioni M, Ursino M, Alvisi C (1988) Correlations among intracranial pulsatility, intracranial hemodynamics and transcranial Doppler wave form: literature review and hypothesis for future studies. Neurosurg 22:807–812

    Google Scholar 

  6. Greisen G (1986) Cerebral blood flow in preterm infants during the first week of life. Acta Paediatr Scand 75:43–51

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Grojean-Gibondi F (1988) Etude de la velocimétrie arteriélle intracérébrale chez le nouveau-né normal, à terme, à J1 et J3. Thesis, Louis Pasteur University, Strasbourg

    Google Scholar 

  8. Kurmanavichius J, Karrer G, Hebisch G, et al (1991) Fetal and preterm newborn cerebral blood flow velocity. Early Hum Dev 26:113–120

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Pozo JL, Ringelstein EB (1990) Non-invasive detection of the carotid siphon and middle cerebral artery. Ann Neurol 28:640–647

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Prechtl HFR, Beintema D (1964) The neurological examination of the full term newborn infant. Clin Dev Med 12–24

  11. Russo G, Profeta G, Acampora S, et al (1986) Transcranial Doppler ultrasound. J Neurosurg Sci 30:97–102

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Saint-Anne Dargassies S (1977) Long term neurological follow-up of 286 truely premature infants I: neurological sequelae. Dev Med Child Neurol 18: 462–478

    Google Scholar 

  13. Sloan MA, Halley EC, Kassell NF, et al (1989) Sensivity and specificity of transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in the diagnosis of vasospasm following subarachnoid hemorrhage. Neurology 39:1514–1518

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Sonesson SE, Winberg P, Lundell BPW (1987) Early postnatal changes in intracranial arterial blood flow velocities in term infants. Pediatr Res 22: 461–464

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Yoshida H, Yasuhara A, Kobayashi Y (1991) Transcranial Doppler sonographic studies of cerebral blood flow velocity in neonates. Pediatr Neurol 7: 105–110

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Özek, E., Köroğlu, T.F., Karakoç, F. et al. Transcranial Doppler assessment of cerebral blood flow velocity in term newborns. Eur J Pediatr 154, 60–63 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01972975

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01972975

Key words

Navigation