The guideline, which is published in the May 11 issue of Neurology, the scientific journal of the American Academy of Neurology, was developed through expert review of all of the scientific evidence available on the use of TCD.
"The guideline provides physicians with recommendations on how TCD may be used to evaluate the status of blood vessels inside the brain in patients with known or suspected cerebral vascular disease in diverse clinical settings," said guideline co-author Michael A. Sloan, MD, of Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, Ill.
The evidence showed that TCD provides valuable information in two situations: screening children age 2 to 16 with sickle cell disease for risk of stroke; and detecting and monitoring of vasospasms, or contractions of blood vessels, after subarachnoid hemorrhage, a type of stroke that occurs when a blood vessel on the brain's surface ruptures and bleeds into the space around the brain.
In other situations, TCD was found to provide important information, but the value of the test, compared to other tests, has not been determined. These include detection of cerebral circulatory arrest and brain death and monitoring of coronary artery bypass graft operations.
In some situations, TCD does provide important information, but other tests are preferable. These include: detection of right-to-left cardiac shunts; and evaluation of extracranial internal carotid artery stenosis.
Sloan also noted that more research is needed to determine the value of TCD in many of these areas.
For the full text of the guideline, please visit the AAN website at www.aan.com/professionals/practice/guideline/index.cfm.
The American Academy of Neurology, an association of more than 18,000 neurologists and neuroscience professionals, is dedicated to improving patient care through education and research. A neurologist is a doctor with specialized training in diagnosing, treating and managing disorders of the brain and nervous system such as stroke, Alzheimer's disease, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease, autism and multiple sclerosis.
For more information about the American Academy of Neurology, visit its website at www.aan.com/press.
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Neurology