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Analysis of Cerebral Vasospasm in a Murine Model of Subarachnoid Hemorrhage with High Frequency Transcranial Duplex Ultrasound
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Cranial Accelerometry Can Detect Cerebral Vasospasm Caused by Subarachnoid Hemorrhage
Wade S Smith1, Janet L Browne2, Nerissa U Ko2
1Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, USA. smithw@neurology.ucsf.edu.
Neurocritical Care
|March 13, 2015
Summary
Skull accelerometry accurately detects cerebral vasospasm, a narrowing of blood vessels in the brain. This non-invasive technique shows promise for early detection in intensive care units.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Biomedical Engineering
- Signal Processing
Background:
- Cerebral vasospasm is often detected by a cranial "bruit," a sound linked to turbulent blood flow from narrowed vessels.
- Previous work utilized signal processing of cranial accelerometry to identify this bruit.
Purpose of the Study:
- To develop a quantitative model for predicting cerebral vasospasm.
- To prospectively evaluate the accuracy of accelerometry in detecting cerebral vasospasm.
Main Methods:
- Skull accelerometry with 6 scalp sensors was performed.
- Paired transcranial Doppler (TCD) and accelerometry data were collected from subarachnoid hemorrhage patients.
- The energy of acceleration signals during systole and diastole was correlated with TCD-defined vasospasm.
Main Results:
- A predictive model for cerebral vasospasm was developed from 14 unblinded subjects.
- In a blinded study of 58 subjects (125 recordings), accelerometry correlated with TCD-defined vasospasm (P < 0.001).
- The model achieved 81% sensitivity and 61% negative predictive value for detecting cerebral vasospasm.
Conclusions:
- Highly sensitive skull accelerometry can detect cerebral vasospasm with clinically relevant accuracy.
- This technique shows potential for use in the ICU to identify or rule out cerebral vasospasm.
