Japan Society for the Promotion of Science:Grants-in-Aid for Scientific Research Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
Date (from‐to) : 2014/04 -2017/03
Author : SATO Kohei
Recent studies have suggested that vertebral artery (VA) hypoplasia is a predisposing factor for posterior cerebral stroke. We examined whether anatomical vertebrobasilar ischemia, i.e., unilateral VA hypoplasia and insufficiency, impairs dynamic blood flow regulation. Twenty-eight female subjects were divided into three groups by defined criteria: 1) unilateral VA hypoplasia (N = 8), 2) VA insufficiency (N = 6), and 3) control (N = 14). We evaluated left, right, and net VA blood flows by ultrasonography during hypercapnia, normocapnia, and hypocapnia to evaluate VA CO2 reactivity. In this tudy, VA hypoplasia reduced CO2 reactivity, although non-hypoplastic VA may compensate this regulatory limitation. In subjects with VA insufficiency, lowered CO2 reactivity at the both VA could not preserve normal net VA CO2 reactivity. Our findings provide important information regarding anatomical risk for stroke and ischemia in posterior cerebral circulation.