Abstract
The average maximal blood velocity (A/L) and the end- diastolic blood velocity (d) of internal carotid blood flow were measured noninvasively by the Doppler ultrasound method in 35 normal children aged 2 to 6, and 106 children aged 2 to 16 with developmental disabilities including 79 cases with cerebral palsy, 19 cases with mental retardation and 8 cases with severe mental and motor disabilities.
Both A/L and d values in children with cerebral palsy were lower than those observed in normal children and this reduction was especially marked in severely affected cases. There was a reduction of both A/L and d values in mentally retarded children with IQ (DQ) of less than 25, but these values were normal in the cases with IQ (DQ) of more than 25. All children with severe mental and motor disabilities had markedly decreased A/L and d values in their internal carotid arteries.
This data suggests that mean cerebral blood flow decreases in children with cerebral palsy, severe mental retardation and severe mental and motor disabilities, and that the values of A/L and d, indices of cerebral circulation, are useful for assessment of severity of brain damage.
