REG of cerebral vessels - the principle of research, indications. What will the reg of cerebral vessels Reg show using specialized analyzers

REG stands for rheoencephalography, it is a method of examining the vessels of the brain. During this study, a graphical recording of all changes in the resistance of the tissues is made, while an electric current is passed through them at a low value.

REG of cerebral vessels allows you to find out a large amount of necessary information. At the same time, the method is affordable and relatively simple; it is classified as non-invasive. REG of the head is carried out in the presence of certain indications, having previously prepared the person for the procedure.

The study of REG is carried out using electrodes, with the help of which an electric current is applied to the brain. A person is put on a “hat” with many wires, through which a small charge is applied, the frequency of which is from 16 to 300 kHz.

Human tissues and blood vessels react in a special way to current. All changes that occur are recorded by the computer. With the help of the results obtained, it is possible to draw up a map of the functioning of the organ, after deciphering which it is possible to confirm or refute the presence of the disease.

REG of the brain passes for people without any pain. Despite the fact that the body will be affected by current, the person will not experience any inconvenience. At the time of the procedure, it is important not to worry so as not to distort the result.

REG for the head is performed in order to familiarize yourself with the work of the vessels, to learn about their breakage or blockage. Also, according to the results of the tests, you can understand how to act in order to avoid health problems in the future. If you have to go through this procedure, it will be useful for a person to learn more about it.

What is used for

REG of cerebral vessels is performed in order to understand what processes occur in the organ of interest. Often a similar procedure is prescribed when there was a serious head injury. A timely study allows you to avoid hemorrhage in the brain.

The benefits of the study do not end there, and REG for the vessels of the head helps to determine the blood flow in the main and main vessels. It is also possible to analyze the collateral circulation, if due to any factors it is disturbed.

It can be concluded that this examination determines the rate at which the outflow of blood occurs. It is possible to determine the elasticity of blood vessels, as well as their tone. It turns out to analyze the functioning of individual vessels. That is, you can see everything that happens in the patient inside the skull. It is REG for the vessels of the head that is useful if there are suspicions of any pathology.

Indications and contraindications

There are a number of cases in which REG is prescribed to a child or an adult. A doctor can refer to this examination when there are reasons for this. Consider the situations in which a study of the brain may be required.

Indications:

-Stroke-.
Vascular and cerebral pathologies, dystonia.
Atherosclerosis.
Circulatory problems chronic and acute.
Monitoring the effect of the prescribed treatment and individual drugs.
The need to identify the vertebrogenic effect on the arteries during osteochondrosis, or due to injuries.

Also, this study may be required if a person has worse hearing, memory or vision, dizziness is often observed, or a headache occurs regularly. With a head injury, it is also important to conduct an REG examination in order to prevent possible negative consequences.

Some people are afraid to do REG to a child, because they think that the procedure can harm them. The study is really not recommended for newborns. Also contraindications are wounds and bruises in the areas that should be involved in the procedure. In other cases, REG is done to children, and there are no complications from it.

Preparation for the procedure

If vascular rheoencephalography is planned, it is recommended to prepare for it in advance. First of all, don't worry because it can skew the results. There is no reason for concern, they will not even make injections or incisions. At the same time, the body is not harmed, so REG is carried out without fear for the child.

You should bring a towel or napkins with you. They will be needed in order to wipe the gel after medical actions. Experts do not recommend smoking before undergoing the study. You should forget about a bad habit for at least a few hours before going to the hospital.

It is important that a person does not think about the bad and be in a calm state.. It is best to rest for at least 15 minutes before attaching the electrodes. Before the operation, the surface of the skin will need to be disinfected with alcohol. This manipulation will be carried out by a doctor, so nothing is required from a person.

Research procedure

The preparatory stage is quite easy, so even a child can easily pass it. The procedure itself will be carried out by a doctor, the patient only needs to follow the instructions. To understand the study, it is worth considering the procedure.

What do we have to do:

The person should sit in a comfortable chair.
Next, his head will be smeared with a special gel so that later there is no irritation.
You will need to put on a "cap" with electrodes. The device will be pre-prepared for the patient.
The specialist will tell you to close your eyes. This is necessary so that the brain does not react to external stimuli.

Electrodes can be fixed in different places depending on what exactly needs to be investigated. When the vessels of the internal carotid artery are of interest, the devices are located on the bridge of the nose and the mastoid process.

When analyzing the external carotid artery, electrodes are attached in front of the ear and above the eyebrow. If the vessels of the vertebral arteries are of interest, then the occipital protuberances and the mastoid process will be involved.

The REG results will look like a paper ribbon with a diagram. In appearance, it resembles a cardiogram, but has a different meaning. The patient will not be able to decipher it on his own, only a specialist can do this.

About results

When deciphering the analysis, much will depend on the age of the patient, because this factor greatly affects the result of the REG. For children, young people and the elderly, there are different norms of tone and elasticity.

On the resulting paper, the specialist will be able to see the waves that will characterize the fullness of the brain areas with blood, as well as the reaction of the vessels to the filling with blood.

The doctor will definitely pay attention to the following points:

Are the waves regular?
Where is the vertex located and how exactly is it rounded.
Appearance - ascending and descending.
Location of dicrotic tooth and incisura.
Are there additional waves.

After the doctor analyzes the results of rheoencephalography, he will be able to fix the presence of abnormalities. The patient may not always understand what exactly the doctor's conclusion will mean.

Before the eyes there may be a similar inscription: Arterial hypertonic type REG 2nd degree. Naturally, such a conclusion says little to an ordinary person, so decoding will be of interest.

Common research results:

Dystonic type REG. With it, vascular tone regularly changes, and most often hypertonicity with reduced pulse filling is observed. The dystonic type of REG can be accompanied by difficult venous outflow.

hypertonic type. In this case, there is a persistent high tone of the adductor vessels, while there are difficulties with venous outflow.

Angiodystonic type. It is similar to dystonic, in which violations occur due to a defect in the structure of the vessel wall. Because of this, the elasticity of blood vessels decreases and blood circulation in a certain area becomes more difficult.

These types are not a separate disease, they only accompany a different pathology. By determining the specific type, you can understand what kind of ailment worries a person. The doctor can roughly understand what disease he has to deal with by looking at the result.

Vascular dystonia there are floating teeth; there are additional waves located on the descending line.
Cerebral the vertices in the figure are flatter than necessary; no additional waves; REG smoothed.
Low arterial tone there is a steep climb; there is a short ascending line; large amplitude of waves; additional tooth is displaced and enlarged.
there is a multiwave zone of the curve before the next REG cycle; descending line extended.
High arterial tone additional scar is not expressed; smooth rise; there are additional waves located on the ascending line; top moved.

Without the appropriate education, it will be difficult for a person to understand what kind of problem he has. To make an accurate diagnosis, you need to see a doctor. He will be able to guess what kind of illness he had to face, as well as what to do to improve the condition.

Price

Given the fact that many medical procedures are expensive, people are concerned about the price. REG can be attributed to relatively cheap studies. The specific cost will depend on the clinic, as well as on the country in which the person is going to be examined.

In Russia, as a rule, the examination will cost from 1,500 to 3,500 rubles. Much will depend on what kind of clinic a person chooses, as well as how good the specialists will be.

If a person wants to get tested for free, then he needs to have a policy, as well as a referral from a doctor. In the event that you want to carry out the procedure at home, you will have to pay much more money.

In Ukraine, you will have to pay from 90 to 150 hryvnia for an examination, and in Kazakhstan - from 1200 tenge. It is also worth understanding that citizens of the country will be able to undergo the procedure much cheaper than foreigners. If a person wants to get a high-quality research result, then he should not look for ways to save money.

It should be remembered that REG allows you to identify many health problems in the early stages, while the procedure is safe and painless.

REG (rheoencephalography) is a method for assessing blood circulation in the brain. With the help of REG, you can get information about the state of vascular tone of its specific area of the head and the state of blood filling.

Also, with the help of REG, you can check blood viscosity, pulse wave propagation velocity, evaluate latent stages, flow time, blood flow velocity, and the severity of regional vascular reactions.

REG of cerebral vessels of the brain of the brain is carried out using a recording device - a rheograph. To carry out the procedure, a person is placed on his back with his eyes closed and metal electrodes are applied, which are fixed on the person’s head with rubber bands, to improve sensitivity, a special conductive lubricant is applied to the electrode disks.

A thin layer of contact paste is applied to the plate electrodes for REG and applied to the appropriate areas of the scalp, but they are first degreased with alcohol. With the most common frontomastoid REG lead, one of the electrodes is placed on the mastoid process, and the other is placed over the inner edge of the arch above the eyebrow.

Then a weak current is passed through all the electrodes, with the help of this current the state of the vessels of the brain is recorded.

The basis of the REG method (rheoencephalography) is the difference between the electrical conductivity of human blood and tissues of the human body, as a result of which pulse fluctuations in blood filling cause fluctuations in the electrical conductivity of the area under study.

The use of REG of cerebral vessels

Rheoencephalography is used in clinical practice for various purposes:

Rheoencephalography is a non-invasive (treatment method during which no impact is made on the skin with the help of various surgical instruments) method of studying the vascular system of the brain, which is based on recording the changing electrical resistance of tissues with the passage of a weak electric current through these tissues with a high frequency. The method is a type of -rheography.

REG of blood vessels provides information about the state of elasticity of the walls of blood vessels and vascular tone, the intensity of cerebral blood supply, the reactivity of blood vessels under the action of causes that change blood circulation, as well as the state of outflow from the cranial cavity. Rheoencephalography is prescribed, if necessary, in the form of prophylaxis and during examinations, as well as in cases of strokes and traumatic brain injuries.

The price of this procedure may depend on the brand of equipment and the qualifications of the specialist.

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Comments

Tatiana

hello, I have a lot of stress against his background, constant noise in my head, I'm going crazy. did ultrasound of the vessels of the head and neck in the conclusion. Signs of cerebral antiodystonia in the form of an unstable tone of the arteries of the base of the brain. and Asymmetry of blood flow in the intracranial vertebral arteries is about 20−25% with signs of extravasal influence on the left vertebral artery. Whether it is very bad or it can is necessary to make still inspection.

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Tatyana, you need to do an X-ray of the cervical spine. Even better if it's a CT or MRI. Often changes in the cervical vertebrae, their instability, protrusions or hernias affect the state of the vessels that pass through the intervertebral canal and nourish the brain. With insufficient blood flow to the brain, complaints of noise in the head appear, headaches, dizziness, and even loss of consciousness are possible.
Address to the neurologist. If there is severe stress, then consultation with a psychotherapist will not hurt.

Diana

hello! At the age of 4.5 months, a child had a closed craniocerebral injury, a mild contusion of the brain, and a closed linear fracture of the right parietal bone. received inpatient treatment. after discharge and a year later, they underwent neurosonography, the conclusion was without pathologies. Now the child is 2 years old, 10 months old, he is developing normally, there are no complaints, what studies can be done now to make sure that nothing threatens the child's health, and should we be constantly monitored by a neurologist?! thanks in advance for your reply

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Diana, the child should be registered with a neurologist for a long time. First, visit your doctor, who, having assessed the condition of the baby, will determine the need for any research. You don't need to do anything on your own.

Zina

My daughter is now 19 years old, she suffers from epilepsy. As a child, she often complained of headaches. They did not go to the doctor. At the age of 15, the first epilepsy attack occurred. Treatment for epilepsy began. The other day, after a year-long remission, an epi attack occurred, for three days before it my head hurt and painkillers did not help. My question is: could problems with blood vessels cause an attack? The doctor never directed us to study blood vessels.

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Dear Zina!
The causes of epilepsy have not yet been reliably established, only predisposing factors that can contribute to an increase in the bioelectrical activity of the brain and the onset of an epileptic attack have been studied. Problems with the vessels of the neck and brain are just considered risk factors, so we can think that a headache and incorrect vascular anatomy provoked a new attack. But the true cause of epilepsy in your daughter is not clear (perhaps a hereditary predisposition), because not every person suffering from headaches and vascular anomalies develops epilepsy.
Your child needs to be consulted by a neurologist and undergo a comprehensive diagnosis, consisting of EEG, MRI (or CT) of the brain, Doppler ultrasound of the vessels of the neck and head.
We wish your daughter successful treatment.

Hope

Hello! My son is 12 years old, early maturation, has grown a lot in a year, looks like 15 years old ...

He reads a lot, is seriously engaged in programming, is an excellent student, in general, a lot of mental activity ... He is engaged in sports amateurishly, kudo.

Twice with an interval of 1 month there were attacks of headache with dizziness, visual impairment. Once right during training. The pain is prolonged, about 5 hours. Spazmalgon helped, rest, sleep.

They did an X-ray of the cervical region: everything is fine there.

REG of blood vessels: normotonic type of REG with symptoms of venous insufficiency. Hypovolemia.

The neurologist prescribed ascorutin and picamilon. He said there was nothing to worry about. I would like to know your opinion. Thank you.

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Hello Hope!
The symptoms described by you at the son most of all approach or suit under a migraine cephalalgia (or a migraine). This disease really does not represent a terrible and dangerous for life, as the treating neurologist said. But it should be noted that in some situations (for example, with frequently recurring headache attacks), migraine greatly impairs the quality of life. A possible cause of migraine in your son can be assumed hormonal changes in the body and puberty. You also need to pay attention to whether playing sports is a provoking factor for the onset of migraine attacks.
The course of treatment at this stage (in case of attacks once a month) is recommended correctly - a drug to strengthen the vascular wall in combination with a nootropic agent. For the speedy relief of possible attacks, always keep spasmolgon on hand, which helped your child well in previous attacks. If the migraine gets worse and stops being relieved by regular painkillers, if the periods between attacks start to shorten, then your son will need to undergo an MRI or CT scan of the brain to rule out organic problems. In addition, in severe migraine, it is recommended to carry out ongoing treatment aimed at preventing attacks (massage of the collar zone, therapeutic exercises, acupuncture, anticonvulsants and antiplatelet agents).
We wish your son good health.

Andrew

Hello! My wife is sick, she suffers from severe headaches, especially in the right temporal region. (trauma in childhood with loss of speech and ability to move. re-injury in February 2014), dizziness, unsteadiness, sound phobia. They did an MRI, CT scan, aneurysms were found in the ICA (right) and MCA (right). Recommend still to make REG and EEG.

I can not understand what the conclusion means? (the doctor did not explain) and where to move on, tell me, please.

In custody:

Currently, the EEG shows moderate diffuse changes in the bioelectrical activity of the brain with smoothing of zonal differences with increased synchronizing influences from the subcortical structures on the cortex. Registered regional paroxysmal activity in the form of sharp waves with an accent on the left.

Local changes in the occipital region in the form of a predominance of slow-wave activity. Epileptiform activity was not registered.

PC is increased in the basin of the internal carotid arteries, PC is reduced in the basin of the vertebral arteries on the left, venous outflow is difficult on the left, the tone of the distribution arteries is reduced, the tone of the resistive vessels is increased in the carotid basin, the elastic properties of the vessels are within normal limits.

I hope for your help. Thank you!

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Hello Andrey!
The conclusion of a spiral computed tomography can be translated into understandable language as follows: your wife in a certain area of the right internal carotid artery (ICA) and the right middle cerebral artery (MCA) due to the thinning of the vessel wall had a local expansion or protrusion of the artery (aneurysm). At the moment, these aneurysms do not pose a serious danger, but hypothetically they are considered a risk factor for the appearance of blood clots or vessel rupture. By themselves, existing aneurysms are unlikely to cause headaches. Based on the data of rheoencephalography (REG), there are certain problems of the entire blood supply system of the head - vascular spasms, a decrease in pulse blood filling in the vertebral arteries, and difficulty in venous outflow. Your wife needs to be consulted by a neurologist. She is shown periodic courses of vascular therapy, massage of the collar zone, physiotherapy.
We wish your wife a speedy recovery.

Catherine

Hello! I suffer from frequent headaches. I underwent REG. In the basin, the tone is not stable, it tends to increase. The tone of the venules is increased. Peripheral vascular resistance in the carotid and vertebrobasilar basins is increased with symptoms of venous dysfunction. The elasticity of the vessels is reduced. Diagnosis of VVD suprasegmental level, astheno-depressive syndrome. I visited a neurologist 1.5 months ago. My head hurt unbearably for about a week. I prescribed treatment with L-lysine aescinat IV cap, Metamax IV, Armadin IV, Platyfillin IV for 5 days. Deprevit, Buspirone-Sandoz, gedezepam for 2 weeks. It became easier during treatment. A week ago, headaches started again, very strong, no painkillers help, it hurts more in the right half in the temporal region, constantly sick, body temperature is 37 degrees. Tell me what the examination means and why not the treatment helped. Thanks in advance.

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Hello Ekaterina!
The results of the examination show that you have impaired blood supply to certain parts of the brain due to problems with the tone and elasticity of blood vessels. The study of rheoencephalography does not make it possible to assess the anatomy of the circulatory system of the brain, but it can be assumed with a high degree of probability that you have hereditary structural features of the arteries (for example, hypoplasia of a branch of an artery, a developmental variant of the circle of Willis, etc.). Such changes are not fatal, the body usually adapts to congenital circulatory anomalies, and through the system of collateral vessels it is possible to provide a relatively satisfactory blood flow in the brain. However, with age, the elasticity of the vessels is lost, the tone increases, therefore, the blood filling of some areas may suffer, which manifests itself in headaches. Your situation can be considered quite favorable, since there are still no manifestations of hydrocephalus (impaired outflow of cerebrospinal fluid from brain spaces) and atrophy of cortical structures. The treatment was prescribed to you very competently and in full, and a positive effect was achieved. The resumption of headaches after discontinuation of drugs is due to the fact that without medication, vascular tone increased again. Perhaps your poor emotional state and tendency to depression play a significant role in this.
To improve your well-being, you need further observation by a neurologist, additional examination to clarify vascular anomalies (duplex scanning of cerebral vessels), a decision on the appointment of vascular tablets (periodic courses of treatment with alternating drugs) and sedatives.
We wish you a speedy recovery from unpleasant symptoms.

Head REG: what is it? Cerebral rheoencephalography is an effective and affordable method for diagnosing the state of the vessels of the head.

The phrase “REG of the head” adopted in circulation can be considered tautological, since the term itself is based on three Greek words: “flow”, “brain” and the verb “to write”.

This type of study is much cheaper than magnetic resonance imaging and is quite informative. It allows you to get information that MRI or multispiral computed tomography of the head cannot give.

Most coincides and in many respects exceeds the functionality of REG ultrasonic dopplerography. It is less affordable in terms of price and prevalence of equipment, has a greater overall information content, but loses in some respects. And, unlike REG, it can only be performed with the patient lying down.

Rheoencephalography of the brain allows you to measure the value of pulse blood filling, find out how elastic the walls of blood vessels are, and check their reactivity.

Peripheral resistance and general vascular tone are also determined by this method. You can find out how fast the pulse wave is distributed, what is the speed of blood flow.

Most of these parameters are understandable only to specialists, but in general they allow us to evaluate the functioning of the circulatory system of the brain from different angles.

It allows you to compare the state of the vessels of the right and left hemispheres, to identify deviations characteristic of a pre-stroke state, atherosclerosis, dystonia and many other diseases.

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REG receives information about the blood flow differentially according to the parts of the brain and according to the level of blood vessels (from capillaries to the largest veins and arteries).

The first time REG of the head was carried out in 1959. Conducted by F.L. Jenker. He is also the author of this term. But he was allowed to conduct this study by the developments made before by Soviet scientists (Naumenko and Kedrov) and their Western colleagues (Kh. Yarulin, K. Polzer, F. Shufrid).

Scientists have established the fact that the blood that moves through the vessels has less electrical resistance than other tissues. Venous and arterial blood also differ in their resistance.

When conducting REG, a high-frequency current with a small voltage is passed through the tissues of the head. Sensors at this time measure the change in resistance. The resulting curves are deciphered, compared with standards, and a conclusion is drawn about deviations in the patient's blood flow.

For the patient, the procedure for passing a rheoencephalogram is not burdensome. 24 hours before the procedure, you must stop taking any medications that affect blood circulation. No smoking for at least 2 hours before the start of the recording.

The patient is seated and asked to take a position in which he feels comfortable. Then wipe the places for attaching the electrodes (round metal plates 2-4 cm in size) with a swab with alcohol. The electrodes are lubricated with a special conductive paste and fixed on the head with rubber straps. One of the electrodes can be placed on the mastoid process.

After that, the fixing device (rheograph) is turned on and the recording of readings begins. The rheograph can have a different number of channels (from 2 to 6). A larger number of channels allows you to simultaneously record in several parts of the brain.

During the procedure, the patient may be asked to make any movements, take a few deep breaths (hyperventilation). This allows you to compare readings at rest and activity. The result of REG at rest is called background. Also, to increase the information content, the procedure can be carried out after taking drugs to narrow or expand blood vessels.

The procedure takes no more than half an hour. It may take a little longer for the doctor to describe the results.

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Due to the similarity of the procedure and the name, REG is often confused with EEG (electroencephalography), which captures electrical impulses emitted by parts of the brain. You need to know that these are two completely different studies. And they have different purposes.

At the output of the rheograph, cyclic curves are obtained. One cycle of the curve displays the readings recorded in one heartbeat, just like on a more familiar electrocardiogram for the layman. Often the results of these two surveys are considered simultaneously for a more accurate interpretation of the results.

Each tooth of the curve has a slope, amplitude, can exactly repeat others or have failures.

In young healthy people, the slope of the curve is noticeably higher, the teeth are more pronounced than in elderly people. And with vegetovascular dystonia, the REG curves of the right and left hemispheres can differ significantly.

With atherosclerosis, the height of the waves decreases, additional waves may appear at times.

According to these and other signs, the doctor determines the probable disease and the degree of its development.

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The following types of deviations according to REG are distinguished:

angiodistonic (characterized by difficulty in blood circulation with a decrease in vascular elasticity and a decrease in vascular tone);
hypertensive (characterized by difficulty in the outflow of blood from the brain through the veins and associated high pressure);
diastolic (there is a variability in vascular tone, at the same time low filling of the vessels and difficult outflow).

First of all, the method is used to determine damage to cerebral vessels. A rheoencephalogram will be useful in diagnosing such diseases:

brain concussion;
cerebral ischemia;
strokes and pre-stroke condition;
vegetovascular dystonia;
pituitary adenoma;
atherosclerosis of cerebral vessels;
hematomas;
vertebrobasilar insufficiency.

The reason for passing is any mechanical head injury, as well as complaints about the following ailments:

frequent headaches;
dizziness;
noise in ears;
loss of orientation with a sharp change in body position;
deterioration or loss of memory;
decrease in intellectual performance;
weather sensitivity;
fainting states;
visual impairment.

REG can still be carried out to complement the picture obtained during an MRI of the brain.

Most often, REG pass when the signs of the disease have already appeared. It is expedient for elderly people to carry out REG for preventive purposes. Deciphering the results obtained can provide invaluable assistance in the treatment of diseases of the vascular system at an early stage. So you can not only avoid a stroke, but also ensure the quality of the brain for a longer period due to timely therapy.

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There are simply no contraindications for REG. It can be done to children and pregnant women. It is not invasive - it does not cause damage or pain. Can be done any number of times. Modern conductive pastes do not cause allergies.

The study is carried out, as a rule, while sitting, but if necessary, you can make a record and a lying patient.

Refuse this examination for other reasons. The first is the habit of modern man not to pay attention to his condition. So, people can suffer from migraine for several years, drowning it out with improvised painkillers.

But you can undergo an examination and prescribe therapy, which, perhaps, will save you from a serious brain disease.

The second reason is the neglect of REG as an outdated survey method. After all, there is MRI, CT, ultrasound and dopplerography. Yes, they exist today. These are wonderful techniques that have greatly facilitated modern diagnosis.

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But REG is the simplest and most accessible method for determining the danger of many diseases at an early stage.

It is inexpensive, takes a little time and is completely harmless to humans. And with all the advantages of more modern methods, REG will still not be superfluous, since it will complement their indications and expand information about the blood supply to the patient's brain.

In modern medical science, there are many diagnostic methods and vessels. One of them is rheoencephalography (REG). Most likely, every reader has ever heard this word, but does not know what it is and what it is for. Let's tell.

Rheoencephalography (REG) is a functional diagnostic method that can be used to assess the state of cerebral vessels. With the help of REG, it is possible to characterize the blood filling of the cerebral vessels, their elasticity, tone (wall tension), the state of the venous outflow, as well as the symmetry of the blood filling of both hemispheres.

These indicators change with vascular damage due to diabetes mellitus,. REG can help in the diagnosis of cervical osteochondrosis and vertebral artery syndrome. This study is often prescribed for vascular dystonia.

The essence of the method is to measure the resistance of tissues to electric current. When the vessels are filled with blood (electrolyte), the electrical resistance of the tissues decreases, which is recorded by the rheograph. The rate of change of this resistance is used to judge the speed of blood flow in the vessel and the speed of "straightening" of its walls under the action of the blood flow.

Currently, the diagnostic value of the method is questioned. Nevertheless, REG is widely used for the primary assessment of the state of vascular tone and blood filling in neurological and vascular diseases. The data obtained with REG are nonspecific, they cannot indicate any particular disease. The REG results describe only the functional state of the cerebral vessels. Therefore, most often to clarify the diagnosis, other, more advanced research methods are required.

How to prepare for research?

Before the study, it is recommended to sleep well and not to drink tonic drinks.

The results of the REG will be more reliable if you get enough sleep before it.
In the morning before the REG, it is not recommended to drink coffee, strong tea and smoke. As prescribed by the doctor, some medications that affect vascular tone can be canceled. However, most often the study is carried out against the background of the patient's usual therapy.

Before the examination, it is necessary to rest while sitting for 10-15 minutes, and stuffy rooms should be avoided.

Owners of long hair need to have hair clips or hair ties with them so that they can be secured. A handkerchief or napkin will be helpful so that you can wipe your face and neck after the examination.

How is the research done?

REG is performed with the patient in a sitting position. . An elastic band is put on the subject's head, passing over the eyebrows, over the ears and along the back of the head. In this case, it is better if the hair is removed, because it will fall under the tape and interfere with the diagnosis. Besides, it's quite painful.

Then small round electrodes are attached with tape: two above the eyebrows, two behind the ears and two in the occipital region. Sometimes small wet gauze pads are placed under the electrodes. After that, registration of the rheoencephalogram begins. This usually takes several minutes.

After the main recording, various functional tests can be carried out. Most often, the patient is offered to take half or a whole tablet of nitroglycerin under the tongue. However, with low blood pressure, glaucoma, intolerance to nitroglycerin, this test is not performed. The researcher may refuse to conduct it. After taking nitroglycerin, a rheoencephalogram is re-recorded.
In some cases, tests are carried out with a change in the position of the body and head (tilts, turns), with holding the breath or hyperventilation, temperature, with physical activity, and others.
The study itself takes up to 10 minutes. Processing of the results of the study is carried out by a doctor of functional diagnostics, and this procedure is performed by a nurse. Associated with this is a possible delay in the readiness of the medical opinion.

Rheoencephalography of cerebral vessels is a simple but effective diagnostic method. As a result of this procedure, such pathological processes as circulatory disorders, as well as other deviations from the normal functioning of this important organ, are revealed.

The method is popular with patients and doctors. This is due not so much to the affordability of the survey as to its high information content, the ability to quickly obtain accurate results.

A big advantage over other methods of examining cerebral vessels is minimally invasiveness, which becomes a factor that encourages the use of this diagnosis even for pediatric patients.

General information about the method

Rheoencephalography (REG) makes it possible to detect circulatory disorders in the brain even in the early stages of pathology and thereby prevent the possibility of developing complications that pose a danger to the health and life of patients.

Its invaluable advantage over MRI and CT is the ability to be examined without waiting in line, which in other places is about six months. Without belittling the effectiveness of magnetic resonance and computed tomography, it should be noted that timely treatment is the key to victory over the disease, and in some cases, the ability to save the patient's life.

What kind of procedure is it, who needs it, how to prepare for the examination - these are the questions that will be discussed in the article.

For what purpose is

The main purpose of the survey is to study:

problem areas of the brain;
state of vascular tone;
the speed of blood movement through the vessels;
density and viscosity of blood.

And most importantly - the reaction of the vessels to all the processes occurring in them is determined.

In addition to the procedures associated with the need to study pathological changes in the arteries and vessels of the brain, it is advisable to conduct REG for prophylactic purposes.

The principle of operation of the apparatus

The essence of rheoencephalography is that with the help of a special apparatus - a rheograph - an electric current of low frequency is passed through the brain, as a result of which the resistance of the brain tissues is visualized on the monitor. Thus, violations in the arteries, veins and small vessels are detected..

The presence of six channels in the device provides the possibility of simultaneously examining several parts of the brain.

In the projection of the studied areas, metal electrodes are installed with the help of an elastic rubber band, which transmit the image to the monitor.

When is an REG scheduled?

There are a lot of indications for examination:

patient complaints of dizziness;
deterioration with changes in atmospheric pressure;
osteochondrosis;
noise in ears;
debilitating headaches;
suspected ischemic disease;
memory losses;
weakening of vision;
hearing loss;
atherosclerosis;
hypertensive crisis;
dystonia;
cerebral arterial hypertension.

For all pathologies associated with a violation of the state of blood vessels - their blood supply, changes in blood flow velocity and viscosity, REG is necessary.

What the study shows

The value of the survey lies in the fact that:

On the basis of rheoencephalography of the vessels of the head, specialists receive significant information about the state of the object of examination. Among them is the possibility of studying vascular tone, their elasticity, blood circulation rate and blood inflow/outflow.
The use of rheoencephalography makes it possible not only to detect abnormalities in the vessels of the brain, but also to control blood flow after complex operations or severe injuries.
With the help of REG, various pathologies are detected, and the severity of the pathological process is also established.

At the same time, the high speed of obtaining results is of no small importance.

What problems are identified

During the examination, the following are diagnosed:

the presence of traumatic brain injury;
localization of hematomas formed as a result of a head injury;
pre-stroke state;
damage to blood vessels by atherosclerotic plaques (atherosclerosis);
thrombus formation in the vessels of the brain;
predisposition to high blood pressure;
diseases associated with circulatory disorders.

The procedure facilitates the task of making an accurate diagnosis, on the basis of which the doctor prescribes an adequate course of treatment. With the help of it, in the future, he monitors the effectiveness of therapy.

Due to the perfect safety of such an examination for the health of the patient, it can be carried out repeatedly.

One of the most significant advantages of encephalography is the ability to distinguish between pre-stroke indicators that have certain differences for men and women.

Other features of the method

Even more information is obtained by specialists with the help of functional tests.

The simplest and most affordable of them is with nitroglycerin. This substance helps to reduce vascular tone. This test is used to differentiate organic and functional disorders.

How to decipher the results

When evaluating the results of the examination, the age of the patient must be taken into account. This is due to the fact that the walls of blood vessels lose their elasticity over the years, become more fragile, and react differently to various stimuli.

Carrying out REG shows graphic fluctuations of waves. The following indicators are taken into account:

ascending (anacrotes) and descending (katacrotes) wave lines;
bending of the incisura (the middle part of the ascending wave);
dicrotic tooth.

The specialist reads the diagnostic results, taking into account the regularity of the waves, the type and rounding of the top, as well as the location of the tooth and incisura.

The norm of fluctuations of the wave displayed on the screen in adults differs from the manifestations of permissible indicators in a child.

Rheoencephalographic study makes it possible to classify the state of the vessels according to three types of their behavior:

Dystonic. It is characterized by a frequent manifestation of changes in vascular tone. More often there is hypotension with difficulty in venous outflow of blood and low filling of the pulse.
Angiodystonic. Its features are similar to those of the previous type. The difference lies in the fact that the cause of the violation of tone is a defect in the vessel wall.
Hypertonic type according to REG. Significantly different from the species described above. Vascular tone is significantly increased. Venous outflow is broken.

These types of behavior are not independent pathologies. They are only signs of other diseases and make it possible to identify them in the early stages of development.

Do not attempt to decipher the results of the survey yourself. It is better to leave it to qualified doctors who will do it professionally and establish an accurate diagnosis.

How is the procedure carried out

The described diagnostic method is completely painless and safe. In the process of its implementation, no effect is exerted on the patient's skin, and various instruments are not used.

During the procedure, the patient is placed on a couch or offered to sit on a chair. To obtain more accurate information, the patient is asked to tilt his head forward, turn it to the right or to the left.

The procedure lasts 10-15 minutes. The results of the study are displayed immediately on the monitor screen, they are evaluated by a neurologist.

To avoid distorting the results, you should consider some simple tips:

Before installing the electrodes, some areas of the head are treated with alcohol. It is advisable not to strain and take it calmly.
Eyes during the procedure should be kept closed.
You need to completely relax. Excitement can cause a sharp vasoconstriction. This will affect the performance of wave oscillations.
Before the procedure, it is advisable to rest for 15-20 minutes.
The day before the scheduled examination, you should not take medicines that can affect the speed of blood flow.
Any objects should not interfere with the session, so you need to remove chains, earrings, hairpins and let your hair down.

If a small child is being examined, you should tell him everything about the upcoming procedure in advance. You can take him in your arms and sit with him on a chair. Then he will not be afraid and nervous.

About contraindications

Due to the absolute absence of harm to the body, rheoencephalography has practically no contraindications and side effects.

The main ban on the procedure is damage to the skin of the head.

This examination is contraindicated in newborn children.. This is due to the small amplitude of the reflected waves, the large size of the anacrota and the complete absence of incisura. Such indications do not give an accurate picture of the state of the vessels of the head.

Rheoencephalography is an effective and affordable method for examining cerebral vessels. Its widespread use is due to the presence of the device in every hospital and, of course, the absence of side effects and contraindications for use.