A hybrid differential and spatially resolved spectroscopy (SRS) technique has been developed to measure absolute absorption coefficient (mu(a)), reduced scattering coefficient (mu'(s)) and cerebral blood volume (CBV) in the adult human head. A spectrometer with both differential and SRS capabilities has been used to carry out measurements in 12 subjects. Two versions of the calculation have been considered using the hybrid technique, with one considering water as a chromophore as well as oxy- and deoxy-haemoglobin, and one ignoring water. The CBV has also been measured using a previously described technique based on changing the arterial saturation (SaO(2)) measured separately by a pulse oximeter, resulting in mean +/- SD CBV(a) (intra-individual coefficient of variation) = 2.22 +/- 1.06 ml/100 g (29.9%). (The superscript on CBV indicates the different calculation basis.) Using the hybrid technique with water ignored, CBV(0) = 3.18 +/- 0.73 ml/100 g (10.0%), mu(0)(a)(813 nm) = 0.010 +/- 0.003 mm(-1) and mu'(0)(s)(813 nm) = 1.19 +/- 0.55 mm(-1) (data quoted at 813 nm). With water considered, CBV(w) = 3.05 +/- 0.77 ml/100 g (10.5%), mu(w)(a)(813 nm) = 0.010 +/- 0.003 mm(-1) and mu'(w)(s)(813 nm) = 1.28 +/- 0.56 mm(-1). The mean biases between CBV(0)/CBV(w), CBV(0)/CBV(a) and CBV(w)/CBV(a) are 0.14 +/- 0.09, 0.79 +/- 1.22 and 0.65 +/- 1.24 ml/100 g. The mean biases between mu(0)(a)(813 nm)/mu(w)(a)(813 nm) and mu'(0)(s)(813 nm)/mu'(w)(s)(813 nm) are (5.9 +/- 10.0) x 10(-4) mm(-1) and -0.084 +/- 0.266 mm(-1), respectively. The method we describe extends the functionality of the current SRS instrumentation.