The invention relates to systems and methods for assessing blood flow in
single or multiple vessels and segments, for assessing vascular health,
for conducting clinical trials, for screening therapeutic interventions
for effect, for assessing risk factors, for evaluating intracranial
pressure and for analyzing the results in a defined manner. The invention
enables direct monitoring of therapies, substances and devices on blood
vessels, especially those of the cerebral vasculature. Relevant blood
flow parameters include mean flow velocity, systolic acceleration, and
pulsatility index. Measurement and analysis of these parameters, and
others, provides details regarding the vascular health of individual and
multiple vessels and a global analysis of an individual's overall
vascular health. The invention can track the onset, progression and
treatment efficacy in an individual experiencing increased intracranial
pressure, or can help identify underlying vulnerabilities of the vascular
system to normal pressures, associated with and manifested as
hydrocphalus or dementia.