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This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 291/4/H2019    most recent 00415.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bergersen, T. K. Articles by Pirhonen, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bergersen, T. K. Articles by Pirhonen, J.

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

REPLY

Department of Dermatology
Rikshospitalet University Hospital
N-0027 Oslo, Norway

T.W. Hartgill

Ullevaal University Hospital
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Oslo
Kirkeveien 166
N-0407 Oslo, Norway

J. Pirhonen

Ullevaal University Hospital
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology
University of Oslo
Kirkeveien 166
N-0407 Oslo, Norway

To the Editor: We thank Dr. Immink and colleagues (2) for discussion of our study. Their question as to whether this shows preservation of cerebral autoregulation during normal pregnancy uses their own definition of cerebral autoregulation as "the tendency of cerebral blood flow to remain constant over a range of systemic blood pressures." Our study (1) shows that the cerebral blood velocities were unchanged during significant increase in systemic blood pressure in gestational weeks 8, 15, 22, 29, and 36 and 3 mo after birth. We do agree that the mechanisms responsible for this control are complex. However, our findings do suggest that cerebral autoregulation is preserved during pregnancy. Furthermore, as Immink and colleagues state, our study also shows that the cerebral CO₂ reactivity is preserved during healthy pregnancy because a vasoconstriction was always seen during significant lowering of the end-tidal CO₂.

REFERENCES

1. Bergersen TK, Hartgill TW, and Pirhonen J. Cerebrovascular response to normal pregnancy: a longitudinal study. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 290: H1856–H1861, 2006.[Abstract/Free Full Text]
2. Immink RV, Secher NH, and van Lieshout JJ. Cerebral autoregulation and CO₂ responsiveness of the brain. Am J Physiol Heart Circ Physiol 291: H2018, 2006.[Free Full Text]

This Article Full Text (PDF) All Versions of this Article: 291/4/H2019    most recent 00415.2006v1 Alert me when this article is cited Alert me if a correction is posted Services Email this article to a friend Similar articles in this journal Similar articles in Web of Science Alert me to new issues of the journal Download to citation manager Citing Articles Citing Articles via Google Scholar Google Scholar Articles by Bergersen, T. K. Articles by Pirhonen, J. Search for Related Content PubMed Articles by Bergersen, T. K. Articles by Pirhonen, J.