On the normalization of cerebral blood flow

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Physiology

Background:

• Cerebral blood flow (CBF) is a key indicator of brain function.
• Existing literature shows significant variability in CBF values, potentially due to inconsistent measurement conditions.
• Accurate quantification of CBF is crucial for understanding brain health and disease.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the impact of measurement conditions on cerebral perfusion quantification.
• To establish a more accurate method for normalizing blood perfusion data derived from intravascular tracers.
• To re-evaluate existing literature data using the proposed normalization method.

Main Methods:

• Utilized high-resolution imaging of primate cortical microvasculature.
• Performed extensive numerical evaluations of cerebral perfusion.
• Developed and applied a novel normalization method for blood perfusion data.

Main Results:

• Demonstrated that blood perfusion normalized by voxel surface area provides a more consistent measure than normalization by voxel volume.
• Validated this finding against existing literature data, showing improved agreement.
• Identified voxel surface area normalization as critical for accurate CBF evaluation.

Conclusions:

• Normalization by voxel surface area is essential for accurate cerebral blood flow quantification using intravascular tracers.
• This refined method addresses inconsistencies in current CBF measurement practices.
• The findings have implications for the reliable assessment of brain function in research and clinical settings.