摘要BACKGROUND: It is crucial to understand cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve in stegnotic arterial blood-supply regions to treat ischemic cerebrovascular diseases. However, effects on symptomatic intracrani-al arterial stenosis (SICAS) need to be further studied in additional applications. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate and summarize the effects of cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve on the treatment of SICAS. RETRIEVAL STRATEGY: A computer-based online search of English language publications from January 2000 to July 2007 was conducted in PubMed to identify publications that addressed cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve of SICAS. Search key words were "intracranial stenosis, perfusion, brain reserve". Relevant data were also searched with the China Journal Net, using the same key words in Chinese from January 2000 to January 2007. In total, 101 articles were retrieved. Inclusion criteria: ① Articles describing the current status for the diagnosis and treatment of SICAS; ② Articles concerning research developments of cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve of SICAS. Exclusion criteria: duplicated articles. LITERATURE EVALUATION: This study included 21 articles of experimental studies and conference re-ports.DATA SYNTHESIS: When performing interventional surgery in SICAS patients, it is important to under-stand cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve in addition to knowing the clinical symptoms and degrees of arterial stenosis. In recent years, there are a growing number of reports on measurements of vascular reserve through the use of magnetic resonance perfusion imaging (MR-PWI). Investigations demonstrate cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve decrease in many SICAS patients. Many studies show that both improve after surgical intervention. CONCLUSION: Cerebral perfusion could provide direct evidence of whether ischemia has occurred in the brain. Because of lateral circulation and cerebral vascular reserve, intracranial vascular stenosis and/or decreased intracranial vascular blood-flow does not suggest decreased perfusion to the blood-supply region. It is important to understand the cerebral perfusion and vascular reserve before performing interventional surgery in SICAS patients.