Cerebral blood flow of the exposed brain surface measured by laser Doppler perfusion imaging

A novel application of laser Doppler flowmetry (LDF) laser Doppler perfusion imaging (LDPI), was used to study cerebral cortical blood flow (CBFcortex). In contrast to the conventional laser Doppler perfusion monitor, LDPI creates two dimensional maps of the tissue perfusion in a well defined area of up to 120 x 120 mm comprising 4096 measurements points. Measurements of CBFcortex were made through an optically transparent polyester film applied to a cranial window preparation in ventilated anaesthetized pigs. Temporal and spatial heterogeneity in CBFcortex were visualized by LDPI during provocations which are known to alter CBF (varying arterial PCO2 or MABP, or infusion of adenosine at constant MABP (concomitant angiotensin administration) or by hyperoxemia). During hypercapnia the recorded CBFcortex increased homogeneously. The adenosine-mediated increase in recorded CBFcortex was concentrated on the lower flow interval, as was the hyperoxemia-caused decline. At decreasing MABP the autoregulatory threshold was found to vary locally within the cortex. The results suggest that LDPI, apart from detecting localized changes in CBFcortex' also visualizes flow changes within different vascular segments. Together with the practical advantages of the system, i.e. not necessitating direct contact with the tissues, this feature makes the technique suitable for studies of CBFcortex distributions.