Selective neuronal damage and blood pressure in atherosclerotic major cerebral artery disease

In patients with atherosclerotic major cerebral artery disease, low blood pressure might impair cerebral perfusion, thereby exacerbate the risk of selective neuronal damage. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine whether low blood pressure at follow-up is associated with increased selective neuronal damage.

We retrospectively analysed data from 76 medically treated patients with atherosclerotic internal carotid artery or middle cerebral artery disease with no ischaemic episodes on a follow-up of 6 months or more. All patients had measurements of the distribution of central benzodiazepine receptors twice using positron emission tomography and ¹¹C-flumazenil. Using three-dimensional stereotactic surface projections, we quantified abnormal decreases in the benzodiazepine receptors of the cerebral cortex within the middle cerebral artery distribution and correlated these changes in the benzodiazepine receptors index with blood pressure values at follow-up examinations.

The changes in the benzodiazepine receptor index during follow-up (mean 27±21 months) were negatively correlated with systolic blood pressure at follow-up. The relationship between changes in benzodiazepine receptor index and systolic blood pressure was different among patients with and without decreased cerebral blood flow at baseline (interaction, p<0.005). Larger increases in benzodiazepine receptor index (neuronal damage) were observed at lower systolic blood pressure levels in patients with decreased cerebral blood flow than in patients without such decreases.

In patients without ischaemic stroke episodes at follow-up but with decreased cerebral blood flow due to arterial disease, low systolic blood pressure at follow-up may be associated with increased selective neuronal damage.