The relationship of oxygen consumption to cerebral functional activity

Abstract

Dr Garfunkel and colleagues adapted the invasive Kety method to measure cerebral blood flow in children. Their study explored the correlation between cerebral oxygen consumption and functional brain activity by measuring cerebral blood flow and cross-brain oxygen extraction in 33 subjects, ages 2 days to 8 years;. Most had severe central nervous system defects. They concluded that mental ability was correlated with cerebral metabolic rate, although the close relationship between brain metabolic activity, cerebral oxygen consumption, and brain blood flow was not appreciated. Indeed, two children were studied who previously had shunts created between the internal carotid artery and jugular vein to increase cerebral blood flow. Not surprisingly, this procedure did not increase metabolic activity.