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Segmental left ventricular hypokinesis is associated with embolic signals in transcranial Doppler

Aldona Warsz-Wianecka1, Katarzyna Mizia-Stec, Anetta Lasek-Bal

  • 1Stroke Unit, University Hospital No. 7, Medical University of Silesia, Upper Silesian Medical Center, Katowice, Poland.

Polskie Archiwum Medycyny Wewnetrznej
|November 7, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Segmental left ventricular (LV) hypokinesis in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients is linked to embolic signals in the middle cerebral artery. This finding suggests a potential stroke risk factor in these individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Vascular Medicine

Background:

  • Global left ventricular (LV) hypokinesis is a known stroke cause, but the role of segmental wall motion abnormalities remains unclear.
  • Investigating segmental LV hypokinesis in coronary artery disease (CAD) is crucial for understanding stroke etiology.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To determine the frequency of embolic signals in the middle cerebral artery.
  • To assess the association between segmental LV hypokinesis and embolic signals in CAD patients with and without stroke.

Main Methods:

  • Echocardiography and carotid/transcranial Doppler ultrasound were used to detect microembolic signals.
  • Study included 68 patients with segmental LV hypokinesis (33 without stroke, 35 with stroke), a reference group (30), and a control group (37 healthy volunteers).

Main Results:

  • Embolic signals were significantly more frequent in patients with segmental LV hypokinesis compared to control and reference groups.
  • Patients with CAD and stroke showed a higher incidence of embolic signals (≥3) than those without stroke.
  • Hypokinesis of the interventricular septum and apex correlated with a higher frequency of embolic signals in the middle cerebral arteries.

Conclusions:

  • Segmental LV hypokinesis in CAD patients is associated with embolic signals in the middle cerebral artery.
  • These findings suggest that segmental LV motion abnormalities may represent a significant risk factor for stroke.
Abstract

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