The studies reported here were conducted on the total number of sixty persons (ten healthy persons and fifty patients with hypertension and cerebrovascular injuries). In order to make a comparative study between the degrees of arteriosclerotic changes both in intra- and extracranial arteries by cerebral angiography and the measurements of cerebral blood volume (CBV), cerebral vascular resistance (CVR), cerebral blood flow (CBF), mean cerebral circulation time MCCT), and mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) with the application of RISA.
The cerebral angiographic findings were divided into two parts, the intracranial vessels above the carotid siphon and the internal carotid artery outside the cranium. At the region of intracranial artery, the degree of arteriosclerotic changes were classified into the four groups named O (without arteriosclerotic findings), I (with slight degree), II (with moderate degree), and III (with severe degree).
The findings of the extracranial portion of the internal carotid artery were classified into the four groups named N (normal), T (tortuosity), K (kinking) and C (coiling).
In the intra-cranial cerebral arteries, CBV was decreased; CVR, increased; CBF, decreased; MCCT, delayed, and MABP, higher, along with the progression (from Grades O to III) of the cerebral arteriosclerotic changes. In the extra-cranial cerebral arteries, the severer the morphological changes of the internal carotid artery, the less CBV and CBF, with increased CVR and delayed MCCT.
Furthermore, the respective groups with arteriosclerotic changes were divided into the two groups with normal blood pressure and hypertension. The presence of hypertension showed the tendency of increasing CBV and CBF in the group I and the decreasing tendency in the groups II and III. CVR was increased, and the MCCT was delayed in the groups II and III with hypertension.
In the extra-cranial arteries, the respective groups complicated with hypertension revealed the decrease of CBV and CBF and the increase of CVR compared to those with normal blood pressure.
In conclusion, the arteriosclerotic findings in the intracranial cerebral arteries revealed the cerebral hemodynamic changes better than the morphological changes of the internal carotid artery in the extra-cranium did.
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