Since Hans Berger reported the first paper on the human electroencephalogram in 1920s, huge technological advance have made it possible to use a number of electrophysiological approaches to neurological diagnosis in clinical neurology. In majority of the neurology training hospitals they have facilities of electroencephalography(EEG), electromyography(EMG), evoked potentials(EP), polysomnography(PSG), electronystagmography(ENG) and, transcranial doppler(TCD) ete. Clinicials and electrophysiologists should understand the technologic characteristics and general applications of each electrophysiological studies to get useful informations with using them in clinics. It is generally agreed that items of these tests are selected under the clinical examination, the tests are performed by the experts, and the test results are interpretated under the clinical background. Otherwise these tests are sometimes useless and lead clinicians to misunderstand the lesion site, the nature of disease, or the disease course. In this sense the clinical utility of neurophysiological tests could be summerized in the followings. First, the abnormal functioning of the nervous system and its environments can be demonstrated when the history and neurological examinations are equivocal. Second, the presence of clinically unsuspected malfunction in the nervous system can be revealed by those tests. Finally the objective changes can be monitored over time in the patient's status. Also intraoperative monitoring technique becomes one of the important procedures when the major operations in the posterior fossa or in the spinal cord are performed. In 1996, the Korean Society for Clinical Neurophysiology(KSCN) was founded with the hope that it will provide the members with the comfortable place for discussing their clinical and academic experience, exchanging new informations, and learning new techniques of the neurophysiological tests. The KSCN could collaborate with the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology(IFCN) to improve the level of the clinical neurophysiologic field in Korea as will as in Asian region.1 In this paper the clinical neurophysiological tests which are commonly used in clinical neurology and which will be delt with and educated by the KSCN i the future will be discussed briefly in order of EEG, EMG, EP, PSG, TCD, ENG, and Intraoperative monitoring.
Background & Objectives :In cerebral palsy, spastic paraplegia is one of the most crippling motor manifestations. Reducing the spasticity may improve gait and decrease the incidence of lower-extremity deformities. The spasticity may result from abnormally increased afferent signals via dorsal roots onto interneurons and anterior horn and spreading of reflex activation to other muscle groups. To assess the influence of dorsal rhizotomy to spasticity, the authors analyzed five cerebral palsy patients with spastic paraplegia. Methods : The operation entailed and L1-2 laminectomy, ultrasonographic localization of conus medullaris and identification of lumbosacral dorsal roots. The innervation patterns of each dorsal root were examined by electromyography (EMG) responses to electrical stimulation. Tetanic stimulation was applied to individual rootlets of each root after reflex threshold was determined. the reflex responses were graded and rootlets producing high grade response were selected and cut. Short-term postoperative evaluations were performed. Results : Intraoperative EMG monitoring was satisfactorily performed in all five cases. One month after the operations, all patients showed greatly reduced spasticity which was measured by the instrumental gait analysis. Bilateral knn and ankle jerks were normalized and tip-toe gait with scissoring disappeared in all patients. Conclusion : Intraoperative EMG monitoring seems useful for the selective dorsal rhizotomy to reduce spasticity.
Background : The origin of p300 was still on debate n\but thought to be in the frontal, temporal or parietal lobe. As the transcranial doppler ultrasonography(TCD) gives us and opportunity to observe hemodynamic chaged dynamically and the middle cerebral artery feeds these ares of the hemisphere, we observed the change of mean flow velocity of MCA during the event related potential test(ERP) to determine the role of these structures in P300 generation. Method : Twenty normal subjects(male : 13, age : 24-29 years) performed ERP. An auditory oddball pardigm was used to elicit the ERPs. TCD examination was performed with 2-MHz probe monitoring the left MCA(Transscan, EME). After signal identification and adjustments to maximize the Doppler signal strength, the probe was mechanically locked during the monitoring. The changes of blood flow velocity of the left middle cerebral artery(MCA) induced by cognitive demands were monitored. The measurement of the meal flow velocities(MFV) of MCA were made while the subjects were prior to, during, and after ERP. We recorded the MFVs during ERP. Statistical analysis was performed using t-tests with SPSS-PC for windows release 6.0. Results : All subjects showed a relative increase in MFV of MCA during the task. The mean rise was about 3.2-4.2%(p <0.05). Although TCD does not measure absolute values of regional cerebral blood flow(rCBF) or absolute rCBF changes, changes of flow velocity can reflect relative rCBF changes. Conclusions : The generation site of P300 still remains unclear but the neocortical, thalamic and limbic region and temporal-parietal cortex have been proposed. The MCA supplies these anatomical structures. The Changes of flow veolocity of MCA during the ERP test suggest that the some part of the brain fed y the MCA activate of the temporal lobe or parietal lobes, we can deduce that some parts of brain fed by the MCA participate in the generation of P300.
Dignosis of migraine is only based on the medical history, and objective methods to aid the clinical diagnosisare absent. Although transcranial Doppler ultrasonography (TCD) abnormalities in headache-free migraineurs have been reported previously, diagnostic criteria for migraine is still lacking and this may limit the practication of TCD for migraine. we prospectively studied several abnormal TCD indices in interictal migraineurs and their sensitivity and specificity to define the optimal diagnostic criteria. Young (20 yrs
Transcranial doppler ultrasonography (TCD) is a new, non-invasive and easily applicable method to evaluate cerebral hemodynamics. Last 10 years, its use in Korea has been dramatically expanded, but the qualification of TCD laboratory has yet to be settled. Since duplex sonography is seldom used in Korea, we have to depend totally on TCD to evaluate cerebral hemodynamic changes. Thus, ll of the available data from every detectabler cerebral arteries has to be obtained for accurate interpretation of TCD measurements. Moreover, flow direction and wave form should be concerned in addition to the flow velocity. In this article, I present technique to measure the anterior, meddle and posterior cerebral arteries, the internal carotid artery siphon and at cervical level, and the vertebral and the basilar artery, and normal values for these measurements which is essential for the adequate interpretation.
The Doppler in neurosonologic examination could be applied to blood flow to determine its movement, the direction of its movement, and how fast it is. Indicies of the Doppler study denoted velocity, direction, and amount of RBC in the examined vessel. Systolic. diastolic, and mean blood flow velocities represent velocity of RBCs in a sample volume. Blood flow direction to the probe means direction of RBC to the probe. Size of amplitude displays toe amount of the RBCs passing the sample volume. Spectral broadening means presence of turbelence. The RBC movements and hemodynamics at the examined vessels can be estimated by analysis of Doppler indicies The formation and meaning of each of neurosonologic Doppler study is described in the present review.
Vasoconstriction of intracerebral arteries is the leading cause of delayed cerebral infarction and mortality following aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage. Transcranial Doppler studies show and increase in the flow velocities of basal cerebral arteries, which usually start around day 4 following a subarachnoid hemorrhage, and peaking by days 7 to 14. Angiographic studies confirm the presence of at least some degree of MCA vasospasm when the flow velocities are higher than 100 cm/sec. Mean velocities in the 120 to 200 cm/sec range correspond to 25 to 50% luminal narrowing. MCA and ACA vsospasm is detected with around 90% specificity. Sensitivity is 80% and 50% respectively. A 200cm/sec threshold and rapid flow velocity increase exceeding 50 cm/sec on consecutive days, has been associated with subsequent infarction. Transcranial Doppler is also used to monitor the effects of endovascular treatment of vasospasm. Flow velocities decrease following successful angioplasty or papaverine infusion. Overall, transcranial Doppler studies are considered to have acceptable accuracy for the evaluation of vasospasm in aneurysmal subarachnoid hemorrhage, with limitations that have to be taken into consideration in the clinical setting.
Transcranial Doppler(TCD) is an important diagnostic tool for evaluating the patients with stroke. It has some advantages and unique role when compared with other neuroimaging modalities. Recent development f transcranial color-coded Doppler(TCD) improves the limitation and pitfalls of TCD. The current indications of TCD are as follows: 1. Screening and evaluation of the intracranial major vessels 2. early detection and follow-up of vasospasm due to SAH 3. emboli detection (high-imtensity transient signals, HITs) 4. dignosis and follow-up of subclavian steal 5. evaluation of intracranial collaterals when the extracranial ICA has severe stenosis or occlusion 6. evaluation of cerebral perfusion pressure (intracranial pressure) 7. evaluation of arteriovenous malformation 8. diagnosis and follow-up of arterial dissenction 9. diagnosis and follow-up of venous sinus thrombosis (experimental)
Background : Syncope was defined as transient loss of consciousness and postural tone. The mechanisms of changes in cerebral hemodynamics during syncope have not been fully evaluated. Transcranial Doppler Ultrasonography can continuously monitor the changes in cerebral hemodynamics during head-up tilt (HUT). TCD could reveal the different patterns of changes in cerebral hemodynamics during syncope. Syncope without hypotension or bradycardia could be detected by TCD. We investigated the changes in cerebral blood flow velocity during HUT using TCD in 33 patients with a history of recurrent syncope or presyncope of unknown origin. Methods & Results : The positive responses were defined as presyncope or syncope with hypotension, bradycardia, or both. During HUT without isoproterenol infusion, there were a 86?3% drop in DV and a 41?4% drop in SV in 5 patients with positive reponses, and mean changes in those were less than 10% in patients with negative reponses ( p=.00, p=.00). During HUT with isoproterenol infusion, TCD showed a 80?8% drop in diastolic velocity in 14 patients with positive reponses, and a 47?0% drop in that in patients with negative reponses (p=.00), however the change in systolic velocity did not differ. TCD showed three patterns during positive responses; loss of all flow, loss of end diastolic flow, and a decrease in diastolic velocity. Loss of consciousness occurred in the patients with loss of all flow or end-diastolic flow during positive reponses. Conclusions : TCD shows different patterns of changes in cerebral hemodynamics during HUT. TCD can be used to investigate the pathophysiology of neurocardiogenic syncope
Trancranial Doppler(TCD) monitoring is a new application of ultrasonography which allows the nonivasive detection of blood flow velocity in the horizontal (MI) segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and detects microembolic phenomena in the cerebral circulation. Recent studies emphasized the potential of using this technique in vascular surgery (carotid endarterectomy, cardiopulmonary bypass), interventional and intensive care setting. Although the disparity between CBF and blood flow velocity and number of microemboli could be used to prevent cerebral ischemic and embolism based on clinical studies. A reduction of more than 60% of MCA can reflex hemodynamic ischemic state and acoustic feedback of high intensity transient signals(HITS) from the TCD monitoring unit has a direct influence on surgical technique. TCD monitoring can immediately provide information about thromboembolism and hemodynamic changes, which may be a useful tool in the study and prevention of stroke.
The most significant factor in pathogenesis of vascular headaches like migraine and cluster headache is dynamic changes of diameters of the cerebral arteries. TCD is a valuable noninvasive tool to assess the cerebral hemodynamic status by measuring the flow velocities of the intracranial cerebral arteries around the circle of Willis. TCD can evaluate flow velocities and vasoreactivity of the patients with a vascular headache during the ictal phase as well as during intericatal phase. Distribution of the changes recorded differ between types of headaches nd also between the major ictal symptoms. The Changes suggest the presence of prolonged vasospasm interictally and more marked relaxation of the cerebral arteries. TCD can be used to monitor the long-term clinical course of patients with vascular headache by correlation the symptomatic improvement and TCD data before and after long-term pharmacological prophylactic treatments. During the ictal phases large intervention. The results may be used in selecting and evaluating the agents for abortive therapy for acute attacks. In conclusion TCD can quantitatively evaluate vascular headaches when making diagnosis and classification and can provide guidelines to choose more individualized therapeutic options for both acute and long-term treatment