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Impaired Intracranial Compliance: A New Hypertension-Mediated Brain Organ Damage?

Mikaelle C Correia1,2, Sayuri Inuzuka3,4, Matheus Martins da Costa5,6

  • 1Hypertension Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Federal University of Goiás, Goiânia, GO, Brazil. mikaelleccorreia@gmail.com.

High Blood Pressure & Cardiovascular Prevention : the Official Journal of the Italian Society of Hypertension
|May 29, 2026
PubMed

Insights

Hypertension progressively impairs intracranial compliance (ICC), a potential early marker for brain damage. This effect is more pronounced in women, highlighting the need for monitoring cerebral hemodynamics in hypertensive individuals.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Cardiology
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • Hypertension-mediated organ damage (HMOD) affects the heart, kidneys, and vasculature.
  • Early markers for cerebral involvement in HMOD are not well-defined.

Purpose of the Study:

  • Investigate impaired intracranial compliance (ICC) across hypertension stages.
  • Characterize early cerebral hemodynamic changes related to HMOD in adults without neurological disease or antihypertensive therapy.

Main Methods:

  • Noninvasive assessment of ICC using intracranial pressure (ICP) waveforms.
  • Utilized P2/P1 ratio and time-to-peak (TTP) to measure ICC.
  • Multicenter, cross-sectional study in Brazil.

Main Results:

  • 252 participants included; mean P2/P1 was 1.32, mean TTP was 0.25.
  • Progressive increase in P2/P1 and TTP across hypertension stages (prehypertension, stage 1, stage 2).
  • Women showed higher P2/P1 and TTP values across all stages.

Conclusions:

  • Impaired ICC progresses with increasing blood pressure.
  • ICC may serve as an early indicator of cerebrovascular dysfunction.
  • Cerebral hemodynamic changes are particularly relevant in women with hypertension.
Abstract

Keywords:
Blood pressureCerebrovascular disordersHypertensionIntracranial hypertensionIntracranial pressure

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