Transcranial cerebral oximetry in random normal subjects.

Near infrared optical spectroscopy is becoming a useful method for monitoring regional cerebral oxygenation status. The method is simple, reliable and noninvasive and the information which it provides is clinically significant in managing a growing number of neurological ailments. Use of this technique has been described previously by numerous authors. In the present study, regional cerebral oxygen saturation was measured at rest in 94 subjects randomly selected from a diverse population of individuals. This sample consisted of 38 males and 65 females (age range 18-70 years). There were 68 light-skinned individuals and 35 with darker skin comprising various ethnic and cultural backgrounds. Mean regional cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation was recorded as 67.14 +/- 8.84%. The association of the man regional cerebral hemoglobin oxygen saturation in various groups of individuals with relationship to their age, race, sex and skin color is examined.