Intracranial blood flow measured with single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT) during transient -6 degrees head-down tilt.

Regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) during a transient head-down tilt of -6 degrees (-6 degrees HDT) was measured with single photon emission computer tomography (SPECT). CBF was measured and averaged for both sides of the brain areas; e.g., the bilateral anterior cerebral artery (bACA) area, the middle cerebral artery (bMCA) area, the posterior cerebral artery (bPCA) area, bilateral basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. Among these areas, a significant increase in CBF was observed in the basal ganglia and the cerebellum during -6 degrees HDT compared to pre-HDT. When CBF was measured separately in the left or right brain area, these significances disappeared, although a trend of increase or decrease was still observable. A trend of increase was observed in the left anterior cerebral artery (IACA) area, the right middle cerebral artery (rMCA) area, the right posterior cerebral artery (rPCA) area, the left and right basal ganglia, and the cerebellum. In rACA, IMCA and IPCA areas, a slight decrease in CBF was observed. At the same time, cardiac parameters were measured. Heart rate (HR), stroke volume (SV) and cardiac output (CO) did not change significantly, although SV slightly increased and HR slightly decreased during -6 degrees HDT.