Evaluation of carotid artery compression in cerebrovascular disease. An electroencephalographic-clinical correlation.

Abstract

CAROTID artery compression as an aid in evaluating cerebral circulation had been occasionally reported for many years. Only during the last decade, however, was this maneuver performed under electroencephalographic (EEG) control. 1-3 Most reports of the carotid compression test on patients with cerebrovascular disease included relatively small numbers, and the results were variable, even in the few studies of larger groups. 4-9 Little mention has been made of the test's value in determining the site of cerebrovascular disease. Determination of the site of vascular stenosis or occlusion causing cerebral infarction is no longer academic, for arterial surgery or anticoagulant therapy may be indicated in carotid artery or vertebrobasilar artery disease. This study was an attempt to determine the usefulness of the carotid compression test in identifying the site of significant arterial disease. Carotid compression of normal adults rarely evokes change in the EEG. Meyer et al 4 found