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Time-Resolved Response of Cerebral Stiffness to Hypercapnia in Humans.

Authors :: Kreft B
Tzschätzsch H
Schrank F
Bergs J
Streitberger KJ
Wäldchen S
Hetzer S
Braun J
Sack I
Source :: Ultrasound in medicine & biology [Ultrasound Med Biol] 2020 Apr; Vol. 46 (4), pp. 936-943. Date of Electronic Publication: 2020 Jan 28.
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: Cerebral blood flow, cerebral stiffness (CS) and intracranial pressure are tightly linked variables of cerebrovascular reactivity and cerebral autoregulation. Transtemporal ultrasound time-harmonic elastography was used for rapid measurement of CS changes in 10 volunteers before, during and after administration of a gas mixture of 95% O <subscript>2</subscript> and 5% CO <subscript>2</subscript> (carbogen). Within the first 2.2 ± 2.0 min of carbogen breathing, shear wave speed determined as a surrogate parameter of CS increased from 1.57 ± 0.04 to 1.66 ± 0.05 m/s (p < 0.01) in synchrony with end-tidal CO <subscript>2</subscript> while post-hypercapnic CS recovery was delayed by 2.7 ± 1.4 min in relation to end-tidal CO <subscript>2</subscript> . Our results indicate that CS is highly sensitive to changes in CO <subscript>2</subscript> levels of inhaled air. Possible mechanisms underlying the observed CS changes might be associated with cerebrovascular reactivity, cerebral blood flow adaptation and intracranial regulation, all of which are potentially relevant for future diagnostic applications of transtemporal time-harmonic elastography in a wide spectrum of neurologic diseases.<br />Competing Interests: Conflict of interest disclosure The authors have no conflicts of interest to disclose<br /> (Copyright © 2019 World Federation for Ultrasound in Medicine & Biology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)