LDF and assessment of autoregulation

Abstract The main advantage of laser Doppler flowmetry is its excellent time resolution. This allows for continuous measurement of tissue blood flow during changes in perfusion pressure. As such the technique is optimally suitable to assess autoregulation, referring to the ability of a vascular bed to maintain its blood flow in response to changes in perfusion pressure. In the eye the technique has been applied for both measuring optic nerve head blood flow and subfoveal choroidal blood flow. For both vascular beds data have been obtained using either an experimental increase or decrease in ocular perfusion pressure. In addition, data are available showing the complex regulation of ocular blood flow when both mean arterial pressure and intraocular pressure are modified.