Yes. A transcranial Doppler uses ultrasound to measure blood flow in the vessels inside your skull. No sedation, injection or contrast is involved in a standard study, and there is no aftereffect, so you can drive yourself home.
Yes. A transcranial Doppler uses ultrasound to measure blood flow in the vessels inside your skull. No sedation, injection or contrast is involved in a standard study, and there is no aftereffect, so you can drive yourself home.
Transcranial Doppler sends sound waves through thin areas of the skull, usually near the temple, behind the ear and at the eye, and measures how fast blood moves in the arteries beneath. It is completely non-invasive. You lie or sit still while the technologist finds the right window; the main sensation is steady pressure from the probe.
A carotid ultrasound looks at the large arteries in your neck. Transcranial Doppler looks at vessels inside the head. They answer different questions and are often used together. The practical difference for you is that transcranial Doppler is one of the six studies performed at both CNS offices, while carotid ultrasound is arranged at an imaging facility.
Avoid caffeine and nicotine beforehand if you can, since both affect blood-vessel tone and can influence the readings; ask when you book whether that applies to your study. Take your usual medications unless told otherwise. There is nothing to recover from afterwards. If a bubble study or another specialised version is planned, that does involve an injected agent and will be explained and consented separately beforehand. Ask when you book which version you are having, since the two are often referred to by the same name and the preparation is not identical.
Clinical Neurology Specialists has been physician-owned since 1998, when Leo Germin, M.D., FAANEM founded it. Five board-certified neurologists and four advanced practice providers see patients at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices, each with its own AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratory.
Clinical Neurology Specialists is an adult outpatient neurology practice for patients 18 and older. The practice performs no surgery and operates no imaging suite, infusion suite or interventional pain programme, and provides no emergency or inpatient care.
Physician-reviewed. Reviewed by the physicians of Clinical Neurology Specialists — board-certified neurologists, AANEM-accredited electrodiagnostic laboratories, physician-owned since 1998. Reviewed 1 August 2026. This article is general education for adults 18 and older and is not a substitute for a consultation.
Sources and further reading: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke; MedlinePlus: carotid artery disease; American Academy of Neurology.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.