The 15O continuous-inhalation method: correction for intravascular signal using C15O.

Cerebral oxygen metabolism (CMRO2) and fractional extraction (OEF) regional values obtained using the 15O steady-state method and positron-emission tomography (PET) were corrected for the activity remaining in blood vessels (a source of overestimation of the OEF neglected in the simple steady-state model) using an additional scan during continuous inhalation of nontoxic amounts of carbon monoxide labeled with 15O (C15O). The method was applied to ten serial PET studies. In normal tissue, OEF overestimation was 11% +/- 2.6% and 9% +/- 2.0% in gray and white matter, respectively. In pathological tissue, the OEF overestimation was, on average, higher than in normal tissue (28% +/- 17% in the core of lesions), but more variable. In both normal and abnormal tissue, however, it was found that (1) the lower the real OEF, the larger the correction applied, and (2) the correction appears to be particularly necessary in situations of abnormally low OEF. The use of C15O continuous inhalation is a simple, direct, and accurate method for blood-activity correction when the 15O steady-state technique is employed to study pathophysiology.