Dielectric measurement of cerebral water content using a Network Analyzer

At present, no practical method exists for monitoring the progression and severity of cerebral oedema in a clinical setting on a continuous basis. In search for such a method, we investigated the electrical characteristics of cerebral tissue at microwave frequencies to quantify cerebral oedema. The dielectric constants of normal and oedematous canine cerebral white matter were measured using a Network Analyzer and then compared to the tissue's water content. In addition, salt infiltration and time elapsed after excision of the tissue were examined to determine their effects on the measurements. The water content and dielectric constant of the white matter were linearly related (correlation coefficient, r = 0.903), comparable to results obtained with a Time Domain Reflectometer in previous research. The Network Analyzer, however, is a more robust measurement device and, because of this, can potentially be used for long term measurements. Further, it was found that neither an increased tissue salt content nor the amount of time after excision of the tissue significantly affected the results. This indicates that the dielectric constant of cerebral white matter is mainly a function of the tissue's water content.