Transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in senile dementia: neuropsychological correlations

Blood flow velocities were measured in right and left middle cerebral arteries (MCAs) and in basilar artery (BA) on rest conditions by transcranial Doppler ultrasonography in three groups of patients: a) Alzheimer's disease patients (AD, N = 12, age = 63.5 +/- 6.6 years), b) patients with multi-infarct dementia (MID, N = 12, age = 72.8 +/- 9.0 years), and c) control subjects (CS, N = 12, age = 57.20 +/- 7.5 years). TCD measures were taken through the temporal window for MCA recordings, and transforaminal approach for BA recordings, with a 2 MHz ultrasonic probe using a TC-2000S (EME). A significantly (p < 0.05) decrease in TCD measures was found in right and left MCA and BA of dementia patients with respect to controls. Data analysis included a significant correlation between blood flow velocities and Hachinski scores (p < 0.016) in multi-infarct dementia patients. These results appear to show a general hypoperfusion pattern in the brain of senile dementia patients.