Non-Invasive Spectroscopy for Measuring Cerebral Tissue Oxygenation and Metabolism as a Function of Cerebral Perfusion Pressure

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) measure cerebral hemodynamics, which in turn can be used to assess the cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO(2)) and cerebral autoregulation (CA). However, current mathematical models for CMRO(2) estimation make assumptions that break down for cerebral perfusion pressure (CPP)-induced changes in CA. Here, we performed preclinical experiments with controlled changes in CPP while simultaneously measuring NIRS and DCS at rest. We observed changes in arterial oxygen saturation (~10%) and arterial blood volume (~50%) with CPP, two variables often assumed to be constant in CMRO(2) estimations. Hence, we propose a general mathematical model that accounts for these variations when estimating CMRO(2) and validate its use for CA monitoring on our experimental data. We observed significant changes in the various oxygenation parameters, including the coupling ratio (CMRO(2)/blood flow) between regions of autoregulation and dysregulation. Our work provides an appropriate model and preliminary experimental evidence for the use of NIRS- and DCS-based tissue oxygenation and metabolism metrics for non-invasive diagnosis of CA health in CPP-altering neuropathologies.