[Orbital pulse analyses in healthy subjects and patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis]

81 normotensive persons were examined with the ophthalmodyamographic method. The measuring device was fixed with a constant, hypodiastolic pressure, and orbital volume pulses were registered and analysed according to qualitative and quantitative pulse criteria. Pulse criteria of younger persons were compared to those of older patients, pulses of persons with a normal vascular system were compared to pulses of persons suffering from cerebral vascular sclerosis. The most important results can be summarized as follows: 1. In old age pulses with arciform ascent or deep-seated anacrotic inflection are found more often. 2. The applanation of the dicrotic wave is seen more often in older patients and most often in patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis. Yet it is not specific for regressive changes of the arterial wall. 3. Pulses of the peripheral type with decrement of the incisura are found more often in younger persons with unimpaired blood vessels, presumably because of the more viscous-plastic properties of the vascular wall. 4. The quotient of dicrotism increases in old age. 5. The mean value of pulse wave transmission time, as a rule, diminishes in older persons, but non-hypertensive patients with cerebral arteriosclerosis have an increased pulse wave transmission time when compared to persons of the same age group without vascular changes. 6. Concerning the diagnostic value of differences between left and right it is important to notice that physiological differences of pulse criteria are considerable as far as amplitudes and height of discrotism are concerned; they are less prominent as to the period of rapid ejection (time between beginning of steep ascent and primary peak) and practivally below the measurable range as to semi-amplitude time (time that passes until half of the maximum amplitude is reached) and pulse wave transmission time. That means: measurable differences in regard to semi-amplitude time or pulse wave transmission time are reliable diagnostic criteria whereas differences in amplitudes and height of discrotism may bring false positive results.