Exploring the Intersection of Sex and Race Within Transcranial Doppler Sonography: Implications for Future Neuroergonomic Research and Application

Transcranial Doppler Sonography (TCD) employs ultrasound to measure cerebral blood flow velocity for medical diagnostics and research. Unfortunately, certain groups experience disproportionately higher TCD failure rates than others, impacting their representation in healthcare and research. To delve into the factors influencing successful TCD application, particularly across different sexes and racial populations, a literature review was conducted. It emerged that factors such as bone density and headset design contribute to these disparities. For example, minority women, on average had comparatively denser temporal windows, consequently facing elevated failure rates in comparison to other groups. Moreover, TCD headset designs often overlook accommodating diverse hairstyles, especially those prevalent in Black communities. While addressing bone density of the transtemporal window is a deeper biomedical engineering issue of the TCD, designers should build upon the insights highlighted in this paper to create a more inclusive TCD that can safely adapt to varying bone density.