Skip to main content
NCBI home page
Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry logoLink to Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry
. 1996 May;60(5):559–563. doi: 10.1136/jnnp.60.5.559

Continuous time estimation as a behavioural index of human cerebral ischaemia during temporary occlusion of the internal carotid artery.

R M Lazar 1, R S Marshall 1, J Pile-Spellman 1, W L Young 1, L Hacein-Bey 1, R P Sloan 1, J P Mohr 1
PMCID: PMC486371  PMID: 8778263

Abstract

OBJECTIVE--To determine whether a continuous time estimation task during test occlusions of either internal carotid artery would increase the ability to detect the earliest signs of cerebral ischaemia in the anterior circulation. METHODS--Four patients were involved in real time measurement of their timing accuracy before, during, and after each test occlusion. While under each test condition, patients were instructed to press a mouse button connected to a computer and then to press it again no sooner than 10 seconds from the previous response but no longer than 13 seconds later. While being given automated feedback on accuracy, patients were instructed to continually press the mouse on the target schedule to maximise correct responses until told to stop. RESULTS--The data showed deterioration of timing accuracy during carotid occlusion (P < 0.05), which always preceded the onset of physical signs and correlated in one patient with the presence of reduced regional cerebral blood flow. CONCLUSION--Decline of sustained attention under conditions of test balloon occlusion of either internal carotid artery was an indicator of failure to maintain adequate cerebral blood flow to sustain normal neurological function. The demonstration of the behavioural effects of early cerebral ischaemia shows the feasibility of an experimental model for the study of human brain function, and may now make it possible to quantify more precisely the time course of acute ischaemic events.

Full text

PDF
559

Selected References

These references are in PubMed. This may not be the complete list of references from this article.

  1. Berenstein A., Ransohoff J., Kupersmith M., Flamm E., Graeb D. Transvascular treatment of giant aneurysms of the cavernous carotid and vertebral arteries. Functional investigation and embolization. Surg Neurol. 1984 Jan;21(1):3–12. doi: 10.1016/0090-3019(84)90392-6. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  2. Fox A. J., Viñuela F., Pelz D. M., Peerless S. J., Ferguson G. G., Drake C. G., Debrun G. Use of detachable balloons for proximal artery occlusion in the treatment of unclippable cerebral aneurysms. J Neurosurg. 1987 Jan;66(1):40–46. doi: 10.3171/jns.1987.66.1.0040. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  3. Harrigan T., Peredery O., Persinger M. A. Failure to acquire an inhibitory task following seizure-induced brain damage. Percept Mot Skills. 1990 Feb;70(1):268–270. doi: 10.2466/pms.1990.70.1.268. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  4. Mathis J. M., Barr J. D., Jungreis C. A., Yonas H., Sekhar L. N., Vincent D., Pentheny S. L., Horton J. A. Temporary balloon test occlusion of the internal carotid artery: experience in 500 cases. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1995 Apr;16(4):749–754. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  5. Michaelis R. C., Holloway F. A., Bird D. C., Huerta P. L. Interactions between stimulants: effects on DRL performance and lethality in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 1987 Jun;27(2):299–306. doi: 10.1016/0091-3057(87)90573-9. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  6. O'Donnell J. M., Seiden L. S. Effect of the experimental antidepressant AHR-9377 on performance during differential reinforcement of low response rate. Psychopharmacology (Berl) 1985;87(3):283–285. doi: 10.1007/BF00432708. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  7. Oscar-Berman M., Zola-Morgan S. M., Oberg R. G., Bonner R. T. Comparative neuropsychology and Korsakoff's syndrome. III--Delayed response, delayed alternation and DRL performance. Neuropsychologia. 1982;20(2):187–202. doi: 10.1016/0028-3932(82)90009-4. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  8. Vazquez Añon V., Aymard A., Gobin Y. P., Casasco A., Rüffenacht D., Khayata M. H., Abizanda E., Redondo A., Merland J. J. Balloon occlusion of the internal carotid artery in 40 cases of giant intracavernous aneurysm: technical aspects, cerebral monitoring, and results. Neuroradiology. 1992;34(3):245–251. doi: 10.1007/BF00596347. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  9. Willson R. J., Székely A. D., Stewart M. G. Transient cerebral ischemia disrupts performance on a one-trial passive avoidance task in the domestic chick and is associated with neuronal degeneration in the central nervous system. Neuroscience. 1994 Aug;61(4):975–981. doi: 10.1016/0306-4522(94)90417-0. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  10. Yonas H., Linskey M., Johnson D. W., Horton J. A., Janecka I. P., Witt J. P., Jungreis C., Hirsch W. L., Sekhar L. N. Internal carotid balloon test occlusion does require quantitative CBF. AJNR Am J Neuroradiol. 1992 Jul-Aug;13(4):1147–1152. [PMC free article] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]
  11. Young W. L., Pile-Spellman J. Anesthetic considerations for interventional neuroradiology. Anesthesiology. 1994 Feb;80(2):427–456. doi: 10.1097/00000542-199402000-00023. [DOI] [PubMed] [Google Scholar]

Articles from Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery, and Psychiatry are provided here courtesy of BMJ Publishing Group

RESOURCES