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(Stroke. 1997;28:2353-2356.)
© 1997 American Heart Association, Inc.

Articles

Sex Dependency of Cerebrovascular CO₂ Reactivity in Normal Subjects

Andreas Kastrup, MD; Christine Thomas, MD; Claudia Hartmann, MS; Martin Schabet, MD

From the Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen (Germany).

Background and Purpose Cerebrovascular CO₂ reactivity can be assessed easily and reliably by transcranial Doppler sonography. The objectives of the present study were to evaluate sex differences in cerebral CO₂ reactivity and to specify the relation between CO₂ and cerebral blood flow velocity.

Methods CO₂ reactivity of the circulation of both middle cerebral arteries was measured by bilateral transcranial Doppler sonography in 60 healthy volunteers (30 men, 30 women) aged 21 to 58 years. End-tidal carbon dioxide tensions (PETCO₂) were elevated with the use of carbogene gas (95% O₂, 5% CO₂). In each subject the mean blood flow velocity (V_mean) was plotted as a function of PETCO₂.

Results The best-fit curves for the relation of V_mean/PETCO₂ were exponential functions, with the following basic equation: V_mean (cm/s)=ae^bx, where a is a theoretical quantity representing V_mean at a PCO₂ of 0 mm Hg, b is the relative slope of the curve (slope divided by the value of the function) corresponding to the definition of reactivity, and x is the PETCO₂ (mm Hg). The mean value of b was 0.037±0.008 in women and 0.030±0.010 in men. ANOVA demonstrated a significant difference between men and women (P<.001).

Conclusions This study demonstrates a highly significant sex-related difference in CO₂-induced cerebral vasomotor reactivity. The relation between altered carbon dioxide tensions and blood flow velocities of both middle cerebral arteries in 60 healthy volunteers was found to be exponential.

Key Words: carbon dioxide • cerebral blood flow • gender • ultrasonics • vasomotor reactivity

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