Cerebral Arterial Stiffness Dynamics During Acute Stage of Severe Traumatic Brain Injury

The aim of this study was to assess the dynamics of cerebral arterial stiffness based on cerebral arterial compliance (CAC) changes during the acute stage of severe traumatic brain injury (sTBI).

We examined 75 patients with severe TBI (men 52 and women 23). During or immediately after dynamic computed tomography angiography (DCTA), the monitoring of the transcranial Doppler of the MCA was recorded bilaterally with 2-MHz probes in the first days after trauma (first control point) and in 10-14 days of acute stage of sTBI (second control point). The cerebral blood volumes were calculated from the DCTA data using complex mathematical procedures using the "direct flow model" algorithm. Data were normally distributed and expressed as mean ± standard deviation. The statistical analysis was performed using parametric statistics and correlation analysis methods. The level of significance was p < 0.05.

CAC was significantly decreased (p < 0.001) in both the control points. The stiffness of middle cerebral arteries significantly (p < 0.05) increases in the first days and stays increased during all acute stages of severe TBI. The CAC was significantly correlated with CBF (r = -0.161, p < 0.05).