Simultaneous measurement of local cortical blood flow and tissue oxygen saturation by Near infra-red Laser Doppler flowmetry and remission spectroscopy in the pig brain.

In the current study we evaluated the combined use of Near-infrared Laser-Doppler flowmetry (NiLDF) and Remission Spectroscopy (RS) for measurement of regional perfusion and oxygen saturation of the cerebral cortex. An epidural probe for combined measurements of NiLDF and RS was placed above the parietal or frontal cortex of nine anesthetized juvenile pigs. Cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP) was stepwise decreased by intracisternal infusion of artificial CSF at clamped arterial blood pressure (baseline, CPP50, CPP40, CPP30 mmHg, ischemia). Subsequent reperfusion was followed for 3 h. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured with colored microspheres (CMS) and compared with corresponding NiLDF values during CMS injection. Cerebral venous oxygen saturation was measured in blood samples withdrawn from the sagittal sinus and compared with simultaneous recordings of tissue oxygenation during blood withdrawal. Linear regression analysis resulted in a significant correlation (p < 0.001) for changes in regional perfusion during CPP decrease and reperfusion, as measured with CMS and NiLDF (r = 0.92, n = 39). A significant correlation was also found for tissue oxygen saturation--as measured with RS--and cerebral venous oxygen saturation (r = 0.85, n = 67). Although the problem of spatial variability remains to be solved, the combined use of NiLDF and RS allows continuous and non-invasive monitoring of changes of key parameters of oxygen metabolism within the cerebral cortex.