AD early detection: carotid artery reactivity comparison between healthy young and aged people

Abstract

Early detection of Alzheimer Disease (AD) is very important in order to have high chance to be cured from this disease. It could be done through assessing the carotid artery condition since the impairment of this artery leads to the central process of Alzheimer. Ability of the artery to dilate shows it is in a good shape. This kind of dilation is called carotid artery reactivity (CAR) where the more the artery able to dilate, the better the condition of the artery. The artery dilation could be measured using its blood flow velocity as the parameter. High blood flow velocity is the sign of wide dilation of the carotid artery. Healthy people and Alzheimer patient is believed to have different carotid artery reactivity value. At the same time, different age of healthy people also have different value. Hence, this study emphasize on finding the normal reactivity value belong to the group of young and aged healthy people. This normal value could be used to differentiate between healthy people and Alzheimer patient. All 40 subjects whose are less than 30 years old for young subjects and people aged more than 50 years old for aged people have been scanned with ultrasound machine using Doppler technique before and after having exercise to achieve 85% of their Maximal Heart Rate (MHR). Readings of carotid artery blood flow velocity before exercise (rest) and after exercise (stimulated) are taken to be compared to obtain its percentage increment value (reactivity). Based on the result, the young normal carotid artery reactivity value is 143.6% for male and 103.3% for female meanwhile for aged normal carotid artery reactivity value is 105% for male and 74% for female.