Spontaneous low-frequency oscillations in cerebral vessels: applications in carotid artery disease and ischemic stroke

Henrik W Schytz, Andreas Hansson, Dorte Phillip, Juliette Selb, David A Boas, Helle Klingenberg Iversen, Messoud Ashina

Research output: Contribution to journalJournal articleResearchpeer-review

29 Citations (Scopus)

Abstract

The etiology behind and physiological significance of spontaneous oscillations in the low-frequency spectrum in both systemic and cerebral vessels remain unknown. Experimental studies have proposed that spontaneous oscillations in cerebral blood flow reflect impaired cerebral autoregulation (CA). Analysis of CA by measurement of spontaneous oscillations in the low-frequency spectrum in cerebral vessels might be a useful tool for assessing risk and investigating different treatment strategies in carotid artery disease (CAD) and stroke. We reviewed studies exploring spontaneous oscillations in the low-frequency spectrum in patients with CAD and ischemic stroke, conditions known to involve impaired CA. Several studies have reported changes in oscillations after CAD and stroke after surgery and over time compared with healthy controls. Phase shift in the frequency domain and correlation coefficients in the time domain are the most frequently used parameters for analyzing spontaneous oscillations in systemic and cerebral vessels. At present, there is no gold standard for analyzing spontaneous oscillations in the low-frequency spectrum, and simplistic models of CA have failed to predict or explain the spontaneous oscillation changes found in CAD and stroke studies. Near-infrared spectroscopy is suggested as a future complementary tool for assessing changes affecting the cortical arterial system.

Original languageEnglish
JournalJournal of Stroke & Cerebrovascular Diseases
Volume19
Issue number6
Pages (from-to)465-474
ISSN1052-3057
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2010

Keywords

  • Brain
  • Brain Ischemia
  • Carotid Stenosis
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation
  • Homeostasis
  • Humans
  • Oscillometry
  • Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared
  • Stroke
  • Time Factors
  • Ultrasonography, Doppler, Transcranial

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