Reflectometric mapping of microregional blood flow and blood volume in the brain cortex

A reflectometric indicator-dilution method has been developed for mapping the parenchymal minute volume flow and blood content over tiny superficial areas of the brain cortex at 625 or 2500 locations, respectively. About 0.4 ml dextran-saline solution was used as nondiffusible indicator and injected into the feline cerebral circulation for each measurement. The subsequent cerebrocortical transit of the hemodiluted bolus was detected as a temporary change in the tissue optical density [OD(t)] and interpreted as indicator dilution, C(t). This gave the data necessary to calculate the microregional blood volume (mrCBV), mean transit time of the bolus (mrMTT), and the microregional blood flow (mrCBF = mrCBV/mrMTT). A two-dimensional record of the OD(t) function was made on Kodak SO 115 film by 16-mm cinematography, as a reflectometric tool, over an exposed area of the brain cortex during the bolus perfusion. Later, the microregional OD(t) functions were retrieved for analysis in a square array from the developed film by computer-controlled, frame-by-frame scanning densitometry. Maps of mrCBF, mrCBV, and mrMTT were presented as square arrays of gray-scaled pixels. The maximal spatial and temporal resolution of the method was 0.015 mm2 (mrCBF), 0.004 mm2 (mrCBV), 6 maps/min (mrCBF), and 600 maps/min (mrCBV).