title: Transcranial oximetry using fast near infrared spectroscopy can detect failure of collateral blood supply in humans.
abstract: We tested the hypothesis that transcranial oximetry by fast scanning near infrared spectroscopy can detect local desaturation of hemoglobin in arterial vessels of cerebral circulation with impaired blood supply. A total of 74 near infrared spectroscopy recordings were taken from the intact skull of humans. Perfusion of the hemisphere under the detector was assessed in one of four groups: (1) healthy volunteer; (2) patient, unaffected side; (3) patient, affected side with intact collateral blood supply; (4) patient, affected side, impaired collateral blood supply. Transcranial saturation was 0.90+/-0.01 (all values reported as mean+/-S.E.) in healthy volunteers (n=24), 0.92+/-0.008 in the unaffected hemisphere of patients (n=23), 0.92+/-0.001 in the affected side if collateral supply with blood was intact (n=16). There was no statistical significance between these groups. Saturation in affected hemispheres with impaired collateral blood supply (n=9) was 0.81+/-0.028, which was significantly different from all other groups (P<0.05, one way-ANOVA). We conclude, that transcranial pulse oximetry can detect local hypoxia if collateral blood supply fails.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Ruprecht-Karls University, Heidelberg, Germany. r.stingele@neurologie.uni-kiel.de
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Stingele
authors.forename: H
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Schnippering
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Keller
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Steiner
authors.forename: W
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Hacke
mesh_terms: D002560:Cerebrovascular Circulation / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D010092:Oximetry / Q000379:methods*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D012016:Reference Values; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D012886:Skull / Q000098:blood supply; D019265:Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared