Background
Methods
Results
Transcranial Doppler (TCD) and transcranial color-coded duplex sonography (TCCS)
Main findings
Methodological issues
Functional transcranial Doppler (fTCD)
Main findings
Methodological issues
Limitations
Potential applications
Cerebral vasoreactivity (VR) tests
Main findings
Breath holding index (BHI)
CO2 reactivity test
Methodological issues
Limitations
Potential applications
Cerebral autoregulation
Main findings
Methodological issues
Limitations
Potential applications
Extracranial ultrasound
Carotid diameter, blood flow velocity, flow and resistance
Main findings
Methodological issues
Limitations
Carotid plaque evaluation
Main findings
Methodological issues
Limitations
Arterial stiffness evaluation
Main findings
Methodological issues
Limitations
Potential applications
Carotid ultrasound method | Finding | References |
---|---|---|
Aortic stiffness (carotid–femoral pulse wave velocity) | Increased aortic stiffness in VaD | Poels et al., 2012 [142] Mitchell et al., 2011 [131] Webb et al., 2012 [132] |
Carotid stiffness index | Greater CCA stiffness indexes in VaD | Morovic et al., 2009 [180] Jurasic et al., 2009 [181] Turk et al., 2015 [149] |
Carotid pulsatility and resistance index | Higher ICA pulsatility in patients with WMH | Mitchell et al., 2011 [131] Webb et al., 2012 [132] Tanaka et al., 2009 [133] Aribisala et al., 2014 [134] |
Carotid diameter | CCA diameter increase in VaD | Morovic et al., 2009 [180] Heliopoulos et al., 2012 [18] |
Carotid BFV | Higher ICA pulsatility and lower BFV in VaD patients | Tanaka et al., 2009 [133] Aribisala et al., 2014 [134] Heliopoulos et al., 2012 [18] |
Cerebral blood flow | Lower CBF in VaD and AD patients compared to controls Longer CCT in VaD and AD patients compared to controls | Schreiber et al., 2005 [136] |
Similar CBF in VaD and AD patients compared to controls | Turk et al., 2015 [149] | |
Plaque instability: Ultrasound strain imaging | Increased strain in plaque correlated with WMH | Berman et al., 2015 [137] |
Intima media thickness and plaque burden | Positive correlation between intima media thickness and plaque burden with WMH lesion burden | Casado-Naranjo et al., 2015 [138] Heliopoulos et al., 2012 [18] Kearney-Schwartz et al., 2009 [182] Shrestha et al., 2009 [140] |