The role of noninvasive monitoring of cerebral electrical impedance in stroke.

OBJECTIVE To explore the change regularity of cerebral electrical impedance (CEI) in the healthy people and patients with intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) and ischemic stroke. METHODS CEI of 100 healthy volunteers, 52 patients with ICH and 33 patients with ischemic stroke was measured by noninvasive Brain-Edema Monitor. The results of perturbative index (PI) converted from CEI were compared with the volume of infarction, hematoma and surrounding edema, which calculated by image analyzing system according to MRI or CT. RESULTS In the normal groups, PI in the left and right sides of cerebral hemispheres was respectively 7.76 +/- 0.75 and 7.79 +/- 0.58, and there was no significant difference between the two sides (P > 0.05). In the patients with ICH, PI in the hematoma side decreased and was lower than the other side, and then increased gradually, finally exceeded that of the other side. The average "cross" time was (16.25 +/- 8.96) h. It showed that the volume of hematoma was no obvious change before and after the "cross" time [(31.25 +/- 21.59) vs (37.59 +/- 27.57)] (P > 0.05). However, the volume of peri-hematoma edema was significantly larger after the "cross" time than before the "cross" time [(26.35 +/- 13.96) vs (14.68 +/- 5.30)] (P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the PI of hematoma side and the volume of peri-hematoma edema (r = 0.8811, P < 0.01). In the patients with arterothrombotic cerebral infarction, PI in the infarct side had a positive correlation with the volume of infarction (r = 0.8496, P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS CEI is a stable physical parameter reflecting the electrical character of human brain tissue. It is useful for monitoring edema and hematoma in stroke.