Cerebral Blood Flow Methods

Accurate cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement and monitoring is essential for the understanding of the pathophysiology of stroke and disorders associated with impaired cerebrovascular coupling. Various methods have been developed to achieve this goal, both in experimental and clinical settings. This chapter focuses on techniques that can be relatively easily and affordably implemented in animal models. These include methods enabling the local monitoring of CBF (e.g., thermal or hydrogen clearance), autoradiographic techniques such as [¹⁴C] tissue equilibration, and optical techniques based on dynamic light scattering, such as laser Doppler flowmetry or laser speckle contrast imaging. The respective advantages and limitations of the various approaches are highlighted. Recent developments aimed at addressing these limitations (e.g., multiexposure speckle imaging) are mentioned.