AUTHOR=Urbanova Barbora , Tomek Ales , Mikulik Robert , Magerova Hana , Horinek Daniel , Hort Jakub TITLE=Neurosonological Examination: A Non-Invasive Approach for the Detection of Cerebrovascular Impairment in AD JOURNAL=Frontiers in Behavioral Neuroscience VOLUME=8 YEAR=2014 URL=https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/behavioral-neuroscience/articles/10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00004 DOI=10.3389/fnbeh.2014.00004 ISSN=1662-5153 ABSTRACT=

There has been a growing interest in vascular impairment associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD). This interest was stimulated by the findings of higher incidence of vascular risk factors in AD. Signs of vascular impairment were investigated notably in the field of imaging methods. Our aim was to explore ultrasonographic studies of extra- and intracranial vessels in patients with AD and mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and define implications for diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of the disease. The most frequently studied parameters with extracranial ultrasound are intima-media thickness in common carotid artery, carotid atherosclerosis, and total cerebral blood flow. The transcranial ultrasound concentrates mostly on flow velocities, pulsatility indices, cerebrovascular reserve capacity, and cerebral microembolization. Studies suggest that there is morphological and functional impairment of cerebral circulation in AD compared to healthy subjects. Ultrasound as a non-invasive method could be potentially useful in identifying individuals in a higher risk of progression of cognitive decline.