Assessment of cerebral hemodynamics during roll over test in healthy pregnant women and those with pre-eclampsia

Objective: To compare cerebral autoregulatory responses obtained during roll over tests in healthy pregnant women and those with pre-eclampsia in order to assess the middle cerebral artery velocity changes in relation to the roll over test in normotensive and pre-eclamptic women. Participants: Twenty-two healthy pregnant women and 26 with pre-eclampsia underwent transcranial Doppler measurements of the middle cerebral artery. Methods: Systolic, mean and diastolic blood flow velocities and mean arterial blood pressures were recorded in the left lateral position and five minutes after turning to the supine position. Absolute values of mean blood flow velocities, mean arterial blood pressure values and calculated cerebral blood flow indices as well as cerebrovascular resistance area products were compared at different positions among the groups. Results: Mean arterial blood pressure increased in both groups while turning from the left lateral to the supine position. In women with pre-eclampsia both mean arterial blood pressure and absolute values of mean blood flow velocity values were higher in both positions, compared with healthy pregnant women. In both groups, changing the position resulted in a decrease of absolute values of mean blood flow velocities. Calculated cerebral blood flow indices did not change, while cerebrovascular resistance area products increased significantly in the groups during roll over testing. In women with pre-eclampsia, the increase of cerebrovascular resistance area products was more pronounced as compared with healthy pregnant women. Conclusions: In women with pre-eclampsia roll over test results in an increase of the mean arterial blood pressure, which is accompanied by a decreased mean blood flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery. Further studies are needed to clarify the pathophysiological background of cerebral haemodynamic changes in preeclampsia.