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Biomedical subjects

Kathryn K Lauer

Publications and source records attributed to Kathryn K Lauer.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

Peripheral blood pressure changes induced by dobutamine do not alter BOLD signals in the human brain.

In extending the use of functional MRI to neuropharmacology, a primary area of concern is that peripheral blood pressure changes induced by pharmacological agents could independently produce a change in the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal, resulting in difficulties distinguishing or interpreting drug-induced neural activations. In the present study, we utilized intravenous dobutamine, a beta-adrenergic receptor agonist, to increase the mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), while examining the effects of MABP changes on the BOLD signal in cocaine-dependent participants. Dobutamine infusion significantly increased the MABP from 93 +/- 8 mm Hg to 106 +/- 12 mm Hg (P < 0.0005), but did not produce a significant global BOLD signal. Yet, a few voxels in the anterior cingulate showed BOLD signal changes that paralleled the changes in blood pressure (BP). Our observations support the conclusion that following the infusion of psychoactive agents, brain BOLD signals accurately reflect neuronal activity, even in the face of relatively large peripheral cardiovascular effects that transiently increase systemic BP.

Adrenergic beta-Agonists↗

Diagnosis of intracranial arterial stenosis using transcranial Doppler flowmetry.

In this case report we describe the use of transcranial Doppler flowmetry during induction of anesthesia in a patient with a large pituitary tumor. In this patient, both IV anesthesia induction and onset hyperventilation were followed by severe decreases of flow velocity in the middle cerebral artery of the affected side. Transcranial Doppler detected critical blood flow reduction in response to anesthesia induction and onset of hyperventilation in a brain tumor patient.

Adult↗

Focal cerebral ischemia in rats produced by intracarotid embolization with viscous silicone.

Many factors contribute to the severity of neuronal cell death and the functional outcome in stroke. We describe an embolic model of focal cerebral ischemia in the rat that does not require craniotomy and is compatible with continuous measurement of regional CBF using multichannel laser Doppler flow (LDF) technique. Either a 22 microliters (large lesion) or 11 microliters (small lesion) bolus of viscous silicone was injected cephalad into the internal carotid artery. Upon injection, LDF decreased abruptly, most severely in the parietal cortex (-74% +/- 5%) in the large lesion and in the occipital cortex (-69% +/- 10%) in the small lesion model. Over the first hour, post-embolization LDF improved in most areas (e.g. -48% +/- 9% parietal, large lesion) but declined in the small lesion group in the occipital region (-81% +/- 8%). CBF measured by [C]14-IAP autoradiography 1 h post-embolization in the large lesion model demonstrated near-hemispheric ischemia (70% of hemisphere) with sparing of cingulate cortex. Autoradiography demonstrated that ischemia in the small lesion was largely cortical. Light microscopy of brains embolized with 11 microliters of dyed silicone showed filling of pial vessels with no silicone in the Circle of Willis or parenchyma. No animals in the large lesion group survived 24 h. Thirteen of 15 animals in the small lesion group survived for two weeks with resolution of initial hemiplegia, ocular asymmetry and weight loss. Hematoxylin-eosin staining two weeks post-embolization showed signs of severe hypoxia and infarction. In conclusion, the intracarotid silicone embolization technique produces a titrable, reproducible permanent ischemic injury by blocking perfusion in the pial circulation, and is amenable to multisite monitoring with laser Doppler flowmetry. The smaller embolus produces cortical infarction with high rate of survival and neurological recovery.

Animals↗