Preeclampsia is associated with global cerebral hemodynamic changes.

OBJECTIVE

To compare blood flow-velocity parameters in the anterior and posterior cerebral arteries between normotensive and preeclamptic pregnant women.

METHODS

Transcranial Doppler ultrasound was used to measure peak, end-diastolic, and mean velocities in the anterior cerebral artery (ACA) and posterior cerebral artery (PCA) of 22 normotensive and 12 preeclamptic women in the third trimester. All measurements were performed with the subject in the left lateral position. Blood pressure and heart rate were recorded with each Doppler measurement. The mean pulsatility index (PI), resistance index (RI), and cerebral perfusion pressure for each artery was averaged and compared. Statistical significance was set at P <.05.

RESULTS

Preeclamptic women had higher cerebral perfusion pressure in both ACA and PCA (64.7 +/- 5.9 and 78.1 +/- 7.6 compared with 42.4 +/- 2.6 and 54.1 +/- 4.1 mmHg, P <.05), lower PI (0.83 +/- 0.05 and 0.71 +/- 0.04 compared with 0.96 +/- 0.04 and 0.84 +/- 0.02, P <.05), and lower RI (0.55 +/- 0.02 and 0.49 +/- 0.02 compared with 0.60 +/- 0.02 and 0.55 +/- 0.01, P <.05) than normotensive pregnant women.

CONCLUSION

Preeclamptic patients have globally elevated cerebral perfusion pressure and lower resistance in the cerebral circulation than normotensive pregnant women.