Peculiarities of cerebral blood flow in patients with various types of headache

Abstract

Introduction. Currently, the most common types of neurological diseases presenting with headache are migraine (M), tension-type headache (TTH) and cervicogenic headache (CH). At the current level, the use of such a highly informative method as duplex scanning in the diagnosis of various types of headache is relevant. A large number of works are devoted to the study of cerebral hemodynamic disorders in patients with migraine with and without aura, in the period between attacks and during an attack. In patients with M, a change in the tone of the vessels of the arterial bed, an increase in interictal hypotension, a decrease in cerebral blood flow reserves, and the phenomenon of venous dysemia were determined. Paradoxical vascular reaction and disruption of autoregulation were noted in patients with TTH. Hemodynamic characteristics of TTH were signs of increased tone in extracranial arteries and decreased tone in intracranial vessels; decrease in cerebral blood flow reserves; signs of venous dyscirculation. In patients with CH the most pronounced changes in hemodynamics in the form of a decrease in speed and an increase in blood flow kinematic indices are observed in VA and BA. Also, in patients with CH, there is a correlation between the severity of vertebral dysfunction and cerebral dysgemia In the available works, hemodynamic patterns characteristic of certain types of headache were not determined. Nor was a comparison of hemodynamic characteristics in patients with M, TTH and CH. In connection with the above, the question of the role of vascular factors is relevant for the study of pathogenetic mechanisms of the development of various types of headache. The aim of the work was to study the features of blood circulation in extra- and intracerebral vessels in patients with migraine, tension type headache and cervicogenic headache. Materials and methods. 458 young patients (16-44 years old, men – 203, women – 255) with various types of headache were studied; including migraine – 124 patients, tension type headache – 186 patients, cervicogenic headache – 146 patients. The indicators of peak systolic blood flow velocity (Vs), time-averaged maximum blood flow velocity (TAMX), pulsatility (PI) and resistance (RI) indices in general (CCA), external (ECA), internal carotid (ICA), vertebral (VA) in segments V2 and V4, anterior (ACA), middle (MCA), posterior (PMA) cerebral, and basilar (BA) arteries were studied The results. In all clinical groups, there was a decrease in speed indicators and an increase in the values of the resistance index in VA. Changes in hemodynamics in the V2 segments are possibly due to extravasal compression and hypoplasia of the VA. In patients with M, the flow rate along the MCA was significantly increased. Patients with TTH showed excessive perfusion of BA. Pulsation index in MCA was increased in TTH and in M. PI values in patients with TTH were moderately increased in PMA and BA. In patients with M and TTH an increase in the PI index was observed in the MCA, the PI index was increased in the PMA in patients with CH and decreased in the groups with M and TTH. This index was increased in VA and BA in all clinical groups. In the group of patients with M, the peak-like variant of the spectrum in MCA prevailed. A characteristic feature of the group of patients with CH was the dominance of the peak-like spectrum in VA. Conclusions. Hemodynamic indicators in the extracranial segments of VA were reduced in all clinical groups, which is probably caused in most cases by vertebral impact and structural changes. Patterns of excessive perfusion in MCA were characteristic for patients with M and TTH, in PMA – for patients with M, in VA – for patients with CH, in BA – for patients with M and CH. In the group of patients with CH, the leading hemodynamic pattern was the presence of vasospastic reactions in the vertebral vessels. Pulsation indices increased in patients with TTH in MCA, as well as in patients with CH in PMA and BA. The predominance of the peak-like spectrum of the Doppler curve was noted in MCA in patients with M and in VA in patients with CH.