Time course of the impairment of cerebral autoregulation during chronic cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage in primates.

The time course of the impairment of cerebral autoregulation during chronic cerebral vasospasm after subarachnoid hemorrhage was studied in 18 monkeys. Changes in cerebral blood flow (CBF) at the regional level and central conduction times during either graded hypo- or hypertension were evaluated in these animals at three stages (3, 7, and 14 days) following the introduction of an autologous blood clot around the right middle cerebral artery (MCA). Angiograms revealed a reduction in vessel caliber (compared to the baseline level in the involved MCA) of 30% at 3 days, 50% at 7 days, and 10% at 14 days. At all stages, CBF remained constant at mean arterial blood pressures (MABP) of 60 to 160 mm Hg in the noninvolved hemisphere. In contrast, at the 3- and 7-day stages, there was an impairment of autoregulation in the involved hemisphere at MABP of 40 to 180 mm Hg. The right hemispheric CBF was significantly (p less than 0.05) lower than that in the left throughout the period of investigation at MABP below 120 mm Hg, but rose to exceed the left CBF at MABP above 180 mm Hg at the 7-day stage and 160 mm Hg at the 14-day stage. The right-sided central conduction time showed significant (p less than 0.05) prolongation at MABP below 60 mm Hg at the 3-day stage and 40 mm Hg at the 7-day stage. It is suggested that these results may help to develop guidelines for hemodynamic therapy for vasospasm in its various stages.