OBJECTIVE To evaluate whether enlarged substantia nigra hyperechogenicity (SN+) is associated with an increased risk for Parkinson disease (PD) in a healthy elderly population. DESIGN Longitudinal 3-center observational study with 37 months of prospective follow-up. SETTING Individuals 50 years or older without evidence of PD or any other neurodegenerative disease. PARTICIPANTS Of 1847 pa...

BACKGROUND To determine the effect of vasovagally mediated syncope on the cerebral circulation, transcranial Doppler sonography was used to assess changes in cerebral blood flow velocity during head-upright tilt-induced syncope. METHODS AND RESULTS Thirty patients (17 men and 13 women; mean age, 43 +/- 22 years) with recurrent unexplained syncope were evaluated by use of an upright tilt-table...

The use of transcranial Doppler monitoring for the diagnosis of vasospasm in subarachnoid hemorrhage is backed by national guidelines. However, it remains poorly used across neurologic intensive care units in the United States. This current practice article uses 2 clinical vignettes to illustrate the simplicity and logic behind routine daily surveillance of vasospasm with transcranial Doppler s...

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE Transcranial Doppler sonography is of established value in the detection and monitoring of middle cerebral artery vasospasm. Little information exists on the utility of transcranial Doppler for detection of posterior circulation vasospasm. METHODS Cerebral angiography and conventional hand-held transcranial Doppler sonography were compared to determine sensitivity and s...

BACKGROUND Head and neck movements may cause vascular compression that produces a syndrome of vertebrobasilar insufficiency. Vertebrobasilar circulation was examined noninvasively in two patients who were able to provoke these symptoms repeatedly on demand. CASE DESCRIPTIONS Blood flow velocities in the basilar artery (case 1) and both posterior cerebral arteries (both cases) were measured co...