Edie Baskin Bronson and Richard Skip Bronson CBF Laboratory

Overview

• The Cerebral Blood Flow (CBF) Laboratory, which began as a Department of Neurosurgery program, has been added as the newest facility to the roster of Ronald Reagan UCLA Medical Center diagnostic laboratories.

Features

• The CBF Laboratory provides assessment of the cerebral circulation using Transcranial Doppler and Xenon-133 CBF measurement.
• Measures blood flow velocity in cerebral arteries, including internal carotid, ophthalmic, anterior/middle/posterior cerebral, vertebral and basilar.
• Equipment is portable and therefore available bedside in the intensive care unit, wards, operating room and emergency room.

Current indications

• Detection of intracranial artery stenosis, including transient ischemic attack (TIA) and stroke patients.
• Pre-operative assessment of cerebral collateral circulation.
• Monitoring of cerebral vasospasm, including aneurysm and trauma patients.
• Assessment of cerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs).
• Confirmation of cerebral circulatory arrest, or brain death.

Special Applications

• Cerebral emboli detection.
• Cerebrovascular reserve (stroke risk) determination.
• Intraoperative monitoring, including carotid endarterectomy, cardiac surgery, other procedures threatening cerebral circulation.