ASSESSMENT OF BASILAR ARTERY HEMODYAMICS IN PATIENTS WITH VERTEBRO-BASILAR INSUFFICIENCY BY JRANSCRANIAL DOPPLER ULTRASONOGRAPHY

Vertigo or dizziness in aged persons is sometimes induced by vertebro- basilar insufficiency (VBI). Assessment of basilar artery (BA) hemodynamics is crucial to predict this state. For this purpose, we have examined the mean blood flow velocity (FV), Foulier pulsatility index (FPI) and C02 reactivity of BA by transcranial Doppler ultrasono- graphy (TCD) in 48 patients suffering from vertigo with VBI. Twenty-four patients with peripheral vertigo and 19 normal subjects were also subjected to this study as control groups. As a result, FPI proportionally related to the age of patients with VBI, while FV and CO2 reactivity did not show such a relationship. FV in VBI patients was significantly lower than that in normal subjects. In addition, FPI and C02 reactivity in VBI were significantly distinguishable from those in normal subjects and the patients with peripheral vertigo. These findings demonstrate that TCD is a convenient and useful tool to evaluate the insufficiency of cerebral circulation in vertigo patients