[A longitudinal study of brain atrophy and its relation with background factors and common carotid hemodynamics]

This longitudinal study was performed to clarify the relation between brain atrophy and common carotid hemodynamics. A total of 147 patients, including 70 males and 77 females, who had neither neurologic deficits nor organic lesions on computed tomography of the brain, were enrolled in this study. The ages of the patients ranged from 47 to 76 years (mean: 62 years) at the first diagnosis of brain atrophy. The patients were divided into three groups: 66 controls without hypertension or diabetes mellitus (Group I), 60 with hypertension (Group II) and 21 with both hypertension and diabetes mellitus (Group III). Brain atrophy was diagnosed by caudate head index (CHI). Mean blood flow volume (BF) at the right common carotid artery was measured by an ultrasonic quantitative flow measurement system. Both CHI and BF were measured twice at a mean interval 6.5 years. Increment in CHI per year (delta CHI) and decrement in mean blood flow volume per year (delta BF) were calculated. delta CHI of Group I and Group II had a significant relation with aging. delta CHI of Group III showed a larger increase than that of both Group I and Group II in subjects in the sixties. delta CHI had a significant relation with delta BF in each group. These results indicate that complication of both HT and DM, or decrement in mean blood flow volume may cause brain atrophy to progress.