Preparation is minimal. Avoid caffeine and nicotine beforehand if you are asked to, since both affect blood-vessel tone and can change the readings. Take your usual medications, mention blood pressure medication when you book, and leave hair unstyled around the temples.
Preparation is minimal. Avoid caffeine and nicotine beforehand if you are asked to, since both affect blood-vessel tone and can change the readings. Take your usual medications, mention blood pressure medication when you book, and leave hair unstyled around the temples.
Transcranial Doppler measures how fast blood moves through arteries inside the skull, and both caffeine and nicotine change the diameter of those vessels. Depending on the question being asked, you may be told to avoid them for a period beforehand. Confirm when you book rather than assuming, and if you drink coffee daily, ask specifically rather than stopping abruptly, since caffeine withdrawal can itself cause a headache and make the appointment harder than it needed to be.
The probe needs direct contact at specific thin points on the skull, typically at the temple, behind the ear and at the closed eyelid. Hair styled stiffly around the temples gets in the way, so keep it loose. Mention a wig, hairpiece or hair extensions when you book, and also any recent scalp surgery, skull plate or implant, since those affect where the windows are and how the study is performed.
Take your regular medications as normal. Blood pressure medication in particular is worth mentioning when you book, because it influences the measurements and the technologist will note it on the report, which is far more useful than omitting a dose and producing an unrepresentative reading. There is no sedation in a standard study, so you can drive yourself home. If a specialised version using an injected agent is planned, that is explained and consented separately beforehand.
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; MedlinePlus, National Library of Medicine.
Adults 18 and older, at the Las Vegas and Henderson offices. Call 702-804-1212 or request an appointment online.