On the normalization of cerebral blood flow

J Cereb Blood Flow Metab. 2013 May;33(5):669-72. doi: 10.1038/jcbfm.2013.39. Epub 2013 Mar 13.

Abstract

Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is the most common parameter for the quantification of brain's function. Literature data indicate a widespread dispersion of values that might be related to some differences in the measurement conditions that are not properly taken into account in CBF evaluation. Using recent high-resolution imaging of the complete cortical microvasculature of primate brain, we perform extensive numerical evaluation of the cerebral perfusion. We show that blood perfusion associated with intravascular tracers should be normalized by the surface of the voxel rather than by its volume and we consistently test this result on the available literature data.

Publication types

  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Animals
  • Blood Volume
  • Brain / blood supply*
  • Callithrix
  • Cerebrovascular Circulation*
  • Hemodynamics
  • Male
  • Tomography, Emission-Computed / methods