CORRELATIVE OBSERVATIONS ON CEREBRAL METABOLISM AND CARDIAC OUTPUT IN MYXEDEMA 1

Abstract

Patients with myxedema present an unusual op- portunity for studying the effect of lowered metabolism on organ blood flow and for observing the effect of changes in peripheral circulation on cardiac output. Studies of cerebral metabolism in myxedema are of interest to the physician be- cause changes in cerebral metabolism may be of importance in understanding the alterations in mental status which occur with this disease (1-3). The cerebral blood flow was measured by the ni- trous oxide method of Kety and Schmidt (4) in eight patients with myxedema. The cardiac out- put was measured by the technique of right atrial catheterization in seven other patients with myxedema.