Skip to main content
Log in

Reproducibility of Doppler blood flow velocity waveform measurements: study on variability within and between day and during haemodynamic intervention in normal subjects

  • Originals
  • Published:
European Journal of Clinical Pharmacology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

Reproducibility of Doppler blood velocity waveform measurements in external and internal carotid, middle cerebral, and brachial arteries and ascending aorta was determined in 8 normal male volunteers twice daily on three occasions each separated by two or more weeks.

Measurements were made in supine and standing positions at rest and after taking glyceryl trinitrate and in the supine position after performing a standardized exercise test.

The Doppler blood flow waveform indices showed a between days coefficient of variation of less than 15% both for baseline measurements and during haemodynamic change induced by exercise or glyceryl trinitrate.

We conclude that Doppler blood velocity waveform measurement in different vascular beds is reproducible at baseline and when the cardiovascular system is interrupted pharmacologically or physiologically.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Beasley MG, Blau JN, Gosling RG (1979) Changes in internal carotid artery flow velocities with cerebral vasodilation and constriction. Stroke 10: 331–335

    Google Scholar 

  • Blackshear WM, Phillips DJ, Chilios PM, Harley JD, Thiele BL, Strandness DE (1980) Carotid artery velocity patterns in normal and stenotic vessels. Stroke 11: 67–71

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouthier J, Benetos A, Simon A, Levenson J, Safar M (1985) Pulsed Doppler evaluation of diameter blood velocity and blood flow of common carotid artery in sustained essential hypertension. J Cardiovascular Pharmacol 7 [Suppl 2]: S99-S104

    Google Scholar 

  • Bouthier JD, Safar ME, Benetos A, Simon AC, Levenson JA, Hugues CM (1986) Haemodynamic effects of vasodilating drugs on the common carotid and brachial circulations of patients with essential hypertension. Br J Clin Pharmacol 21: 137–142

    Google Scholar 

  • Burns PN (1987) The physical principles of Doppler and spectral analysis. J Clin Ultrasound 15: 567–590

    Google Scholar 

  • Call GK, Abbott WM, Macdonald NR, Megerman J, Davis KR, Heros RC, Kistler P (1988) Correlation of continuous-wave Doppler spectral flow analysis with gross pathology in carotid stenosis. Stroke 19: 584–588

    Google Scholar 

  • Campbell WB, Skidmore R, Baird RN (1984) Variability and Reproducibility of arterial Doppler waveforms. Ultrasound Med Biol 10: 601–606

    Google Scholar 

  • Deshmukh VD, Harper AM (1973) The effect of serotonin on cerebral and extracranial blood flow with possible implications in migraine. Acta Neurol Scand 49: 649–658

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischer M, Alexander K (1985) Reproducibility of carotid artery Doppler frequency measurements. Stroke 16: 973–976

    Google Scholar 

  • Fraser CB, Light LH, Shinebourne EA, Buchtal A, Healy MJR, Beardshaw JA (1976) Transcutaneous aortovelography: reproducibility in adults and children. Eur J Cardiol 4: 181–189

    Google Scholar 

  • Gardin JM, Dabestani A, Martin K, Allfie A, Russel D, Henry WL (1984) Reproducibility of Doppler aortic blood flow measurements: studies on intra observer, inter observer and day-to-day variability in normal subjects. Am J Cardiol 54: 1092–1098

    Google Scholar 

  • Gerthoffer WT, Shafer PG, Taylor S (1987) Selectivity of phenytoin and dihydropyridine calcium channel blockers for relaxation of the basilar artery. J Cardiovasc Pharmac 10: 9–15

    Google Scholar 

  • Gisvold SE, Brubakk AO (1982) Measurement of instantaneous blood flow velocity in the human aorta using pulsed Doppler ultrasound. Cardiovasc Res 16: 26–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Gosling RG, King DH (1974) Continuous wave ultrasound and an alternative and complement to X-rays in vascular examinations. In: Reneman RS (ed) Cardiovascular applications of ultrasound. North-Holland, Amsterdam, pp 266–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Halfdan I, Knut E, Yngvar M, Erik M (1987) Reproducibility of cardiac stroke volume estimated by Doppler echocardiography. Am J Cardiol 59: 975–978

    Google Scholar 

  • Hastie SJ, Catherine AH, Martin JW, Rubin PC (1988) Daily variability of umbilical and lateral uterine wall artery blood velocity waveform measurements. Br J Obstet Gyn 95: 571–574

    Google Scholar 

  • Hennerici M, Rautenberg W, Sitzer G, Schwartz A (1987) Transcranial Doppler ultrasound for the assessment of intracranial arterial flow velocity — part 1 Examination technique and normal values. Surg Neurol 12: 439–448

    Google Scholar 

  • MacDonald NJ, Butters L, O'Shaughnessy DJ, Riddell AJ, Rubin PC (1989) A comparison of the effects of human alpha calcitonin gene-related peptide and glyceryl trinitrate on regional blood velocity in man. Br J Clin Pharmacol 28: 257–261

    Google Scholar 

  • McLennan FM, Haites NE, Mackenzie JD, Daniel MK, Rawles JM (1986) Reproducibility of linear cardiac output measurement by Doppler ultrasound alone. Br Heart J 55: 25–31

    Google Scholar 

  • Mehta N, Boyle G, Bennet D, Gilmour S, Noble MIM, Mills CM, Pugh S (1988) Haemodynamic response to treadmill exercise in normal volunteers: An assessment of Doppler ultrasonic measurement of ascending aortic blood velocity and acceleration. Am Heart J 116: 1298–1307

    Google Scholar 

  • Robson SC, Murray A, Peart I, Heads A, Hunter S (1988) Reproducibility of cardiac output measurement by cross-sectioned and Doppler echocardiography. Br Heart J 59: 680–684

    Google Scholar 

  • Schneider PA, Rossman ME, Bernstein EF, Torem S, Ringelstein B, Otis SM (1988) Effects of internal carotid occlusion on intracranial haemodynamics Transcranial Doppler evaluation and clinical correlations. Stroke 19: 589–593

    Google Scholar 

  • Safar ME, Bouthier JA, Levenson JA, Simon A (1983) Peripheral large arteries and the response to antihypertensive treatment. Hypertension 5: [Suppl 3]: 63–68

    Google Scholar 

  • Uematsu S, Yang A, Preziosi TJ, Kouba R, Toung TJK (1983) Measurement of carotid blood flow in man and its clinical application. Stroke 14: 256–266

    Google Scholar 

  • Wechsler LR, Ropper AH, Kistler JP (1986) Transcranial Doppler in cerebrovascular disease. Stroke 17: 905–912

    Google Scholar 

  • Wetzner SM, Kiser LC, Bezreh JS (1984) Duplex ultrasound imaging: vascular applications. Radiology 150: 507–551

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Rimoy, G.H., Bhaskar, N.K. & Rubin, P.C. Reproducibility of Doppler blood flow velocity waveform measurements: study on variability within and between day and during haemodynamic intervention in normal subjects. Eur J Clin Pharmacol 41, 125–129 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265904

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00265904

Key words

Navigation