Spatial Distribution of Sevoflurane in the Human Brain Revealed by in-vivo 19F Imaging at Clinical-Relevant Concentrations: Preliminary Results

Maolin Qiu¹, Ramachandran Ramani², Robert Todd Constable³

This study aims to examine the sensitivity of 19F imaging in detecting cerebral Sevoflurane concentrations in humans during 0.5MAC anesthesia and to investigate the spatial distribution during Sevoflurane anesthesia. We have successfully conducted the first 19F imaging study in humans to assess the cortical distribution of the inhalational anesthetic agent Sevoflurane at clinically-relevant concentrations and demonstrated the possibility of directly mapping the regional Sevoflurane concentration in the brain using 19F imaging with a 1H/19F dual-tuned CP head coil even though the cortical concentration is extremely low. Preliminary results demonstrate the non-uniformity of Sevoflurane distribution in the human brain and provide new insights by directly measuring cortical concentrations during anesthesia.