Effects of Blood Pressure on Brain Tissue Pulsation Amplitude in a Phantom Model

Objective: The precise mechanism and determinants of brain tissue pulsations (BTPs) are poorly understood, and the impact of blood pressure (BP) on BTPs is relatively unexplored. This study aimed to explore the relationship between BP parameters (mean arterial pressure [MAP] and pulse pressure [PP]) and BTP amplitude, using a trans -cranial tissue Doppler prototype. Methods: A phantom brain model generating arterial-induced BTPs was developed to observe BP changes in the absence of confounding variables and cerebral autoregulation feedback processes. A regression model was devel-oped to investigate the relationship between bulk BTP amplitude and BP. The separate effects of PP and MAP were evaluated and quantified. Results: The regression model (R2 = 0.978) revealed that bulk BTP amplitude measured from 27 gates signifi-cantly increased with PP but not with MAP. Every 1 mm Hg increase in PP resulted in a bulk BTP amplitude increase of 0.29 & mu;m. Conclusion: Increments in BP were significantly associated with increments in bulk BTP amplitude. Further work should aim to confirm the relationship between BP and BTPs in the presence of cerebral autoregulation and explore further physiological factors having an impact on BTP measurements, such as cerebral blood flow volume, tissue distensibility and intracranial pressure.

Automated summary

This study aimed to explore the relationship between blood pressure parameters (mean arterial pressure and pulse pressure) and brain tissue pulsations (BTPs). A phantom brain model was developed to observe BP changes without confounding variables. The regression model showed that BTP amplitude significantly increased with pulse pressure, with every 1 mm Hg increase resulting in a 0.29 μm increase in BTP amplitude. Further research should confirm the relationship between BP and BTPs and explore other physiological factors affecting BTP measurements.