The authors, Eva E Buschmann, Philipp Hillmeister, Anja Bondke Persson, David S Liebeskind, Lea Schlich, Robert Kamenzky, Andreas Busjahn, Ivo R Buschmann, Peter Bramlage, Andreas Hetzel and Matthias Reinhard from Medical University Graz, Center of Internal Medicine; Dept. for Cardiology Graz, Austria, the Brandenburg School of Medicine, Center for Internal Medicine I, Brandenburg an der Havel, Germany, Charité Universitaetsmedizin Berlin, Campus Virchow, Department of Cardiology, Berlin, Germany, Charite Hospital in Berlin, Department of Neurology, University of Freiburg, Freiburg, Germany, the Department of Neurology and Clinical Neurophysiology, Medical Center Esslingen, Academic Teaching Hospital of the University of Tübingen, Germany, investigated whether (non‐acute) at‐risk patients with high‐grade carotid artery disease may benefit from counterpulsation. Stating that “External counterpulsation improves cerebral perfusion velocity in acute stroke and may stimulate collateral artery growth.”, the authors randomized 28 patients with asymptomatic unilateral chronic severe ICA stenosis or occlusion to both 20 minutes of active counterpulsation followed by sham treatment or sham followed by active treatment.
Based on their results they concluded “In patients with high‐grade carotid disease, ipsilateral cerebral oxygenation and blood flow velocity is increased by counterpulsation. This is a necessary condition for the stimulation of regenerative collateral artery growth and thus a therapeutic concept for the prevention of cerebral ischemia. This study provides a rationale for further clinical investigations on longer‐term effects of counterpulsation on cerebral hemodynamics and collateral growth.”
For more information please go to: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/action/doSearch?ContribAuthorStored=Buschmann%2C+Eva+E