Skip to main content
Log in

Cerebral-blood-flow-velocity measurements in neonates: Technique and interobserver reliability

  • Originals
  • Published:
Pediatric Radiology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The interobserver reliability for absolute cerebral-blood-flow-velocity measurements by colour and duplex Doppler sonography was tested in 32 neonates with a mean birth weight of 1489 (SD 644) g, and a gestational age of 29.9 (SD 3.5) weeks. Using standardized technique, two observers recorded on videotape, the Doppler spectrum of the anterior cerebral artery, the intracranial internal carotid artery and the middle cerebral artery. Peak systolic flow, end diastolic flow, mean flow velocity, resistive index and pulsatility index were computed from 3 consecutive waveforms by each observer. The estimates of interobserver reliability using the intraclass correlation coefficient of the examiners varied from 0.95 to 1.00. Therefore, cerebral blood flow velocity can be reliably measured in premature infants.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Leech RW, Alvord EC (1974) Morphologic variations in periventricular leukomalacia. Am J Pathol 74: 591

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Lou HC, Skov H, Pedersen H (1979) Low cerebral blood flow: a risk factor in the neonate. J Pediatr 95: 606

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Rolfe P, Persson B, Zetterstrom R (1983) An appraisal of techniques for studying cerebral circulation in the newborn. Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 311: 5

    Google Scholar 

  4. Taylor GA, Short BL, Walker LK, Traystman RJ (1990) Intracranial blood flow: quantification with duplex Doppler and color Doppler flow US. Radiology 176: 231

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Mitchell DG, Merton D, Needleman L et al. (1988) Neonatal brain: colour Doppler imaging. Part I. Technique and vascular anatomy. Radiology 167: 303

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Deeg KH, Rupprecht T (1989) Pulsed Doppler sonographic measurement of normal values for the flow velocities in the intracranial arteries of healthy newborns. Pediatr Radiol 19: 71

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Wong WS, Tsuruda JS, Liberman RL, Chirino A, Vogt JF, Gangitano E (1989) Color Doppler imaging of intracranial vessels in the neonate. AJR 152: 1065

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Donner A, Eliasziw M (1987) Sample size requirements for reliability studies. Stat Med 6: 441

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Shrout PE, Fleiss JL (1979) Intraclass correlations: uses in assessing rater reliability. Psychol Bull 86: 420

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. Winberg P, Dahlström A, Lundell B (1986) Reproducibility of intracranial Doppler flow velocimetry. Acta Paediatr Scand [Suppl] 329: 134

    Google Scholar 

  11. Moorthy B, Colditz PR, Ives KN, Rees DG, van't Hoff WG, Hope PL (1990) Reproducibility of cerebral artery Doppler measurements. Arch Dis Child 65: 700

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Deeg KH, Rupprecht TH (1988) Dopplersonographische Messung von Normalwerten der Flussgeschwindigkeiten in der Arteria carotis interna bei Frühgeborenen, Neugeborenen und Säuglingen. Monatsschr Kinderheilkd 136: 193

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Ohlsson, A., Fong, K., Ryan, M.L. et al. Cerebral-blood-flow-velocity measurements in neonates: Technique and interobserver reliability. Pediatr Radiol 21, 395–397 (1991). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02026666

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02026666

Keywords

Navigation