Effects of blood hyperviscosity on functional integrity in the brain stem: a brain stem evoked auditory potential study.

Clinical hemorheological and brain stem auditory evoked potential (BAEP) investigations were performed in patients with ischaemic brain stem stroke. Lesions were verified by MRI. 55 healthy persons with negative rheological and BAEP findings were used as controls (group A/1). 33 stroke patients with negative rheological parameters (group A/2) and 34 patients with hyperviscosity (group A/3) were also enrolled. In group A/3 bilateral pathological BAEP patterns were found, that could be explained by microcirculatory disturbances. 36 persons with verified blood hyperviscosity, but without neurological signs were also examined (group A/4). In this group, as in group A/3, either total lack of any waveforms, or a bilateral prolongation of wave III was observed. In 31 cases of group A/4, control BAEP was performed after effective haemodilution therapy, and 6-12 months later (group B/1). Here, normalization of rheological profile had a temporary beneficial effect on BAEP in 14 of 18 cases with former wave III prolongation, but had no effect on BAEP patterns in 13 cases, where lack of waves had been verified by the first investigation. These data suggest that hyperviscosity can result in subclinical pathological symmetric BAEP patterns, both in ischaemic stroke patients and in hyperviscosity patients without neurological symptoms.