Biomechanical study on aging changes and vasospasm of human cerebral arteries

Mechanical properties of human intracranial arteries were studied with regard to their aging changes as well as cerebral vasospasm. There exists a considerable difference in the development of sclerosis between the intracranial and the extracranial arteries. Intracranial arteries are already stiff at birth and become stiffer with age. Their increase in stiffness is attributable to the marked thickening of their walls, which compensates for the decrease of their elastic modulus with age. The pressure-diameter curve of the intracranial vertebral arteries subjected to subarachnoid hemorrhage is biphasic and has a sharp flexion at the pressure of 180 mmHg when their smooth muscle is activated. Pressure elevation yields little change of diameter in the strongly constricted vessel up to the pressure level at the flexion point, above which the constriction is released abruptly. The existence of flexion point at a high pressure level is an important mechanical feature in considering the development of cerebral ischemia produced by the vasospasm.