Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 19, 2026
Assessment of Maternal Vascular Remodeling During Pregnancy in the Mouse Uterus
Published on: December 5, 2015
Maternal cerebral Doppler velocimetry before, during, and after a normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study
Pelle G Lindqvist1, Karel Marsál, Jouko P Pirhonen
1Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Clinical Science, Malmö University Hospital, Lund University, Malmö, Sweden. Pelle.Lindqvist@med.lu.se
Objective:
Our purpose was to determine normative data for maternal cerebral blood flow indices. Study design. A prospective longitudinal study.
Methods:
The maternal middle cerebral artery was examined by transcranial Doppler ultrasound in 14 healthy women before (0-10 months prior to conception) and during pregnancy (at 8, 15, 22, 29, and 36 weeks of gestation), and twice after delivery (at 8 and 24 weeks). Middle cerebral artery blood flow velocities were recorded, and pulsatility index and cerebral perfusion pressure were calculated.
Results And Conclusion:
Pulsatility index of middle cerebral artery peaked in mid-pregnancy and was constantly increased between 8 and 29 weeks of gestation. The diastolic middle cerebral artery velocity remained fairly constant at about 40 cm/s during the study period, while the systolic velocity peaked at 15 weeks (mean 102 cm/s). Cerebral perfusion pressure dropped to its lowest levels in mid-pregnancy and after delivery.
Related Concept Videos
01:19Assessing Blood pressure using a doppler ultrasound
Pre-Procedural Guidelines for Doppler Ultrasound Blood Pressure Assessment:
Preparation of Equipment:
01:14Fetal Circulation
Two umbilical arteries transport blood from the fetus to the placenta. At the placenta, the blood absorbs oxygen and nutrients while simultaneously eliminating waste products. This oxygen-enriched and nutrient-rich blood then returns to the fetus through one...