Evolution of the Dynamic Changes in Cerebral Oxidative Metabolism Evoked by Somato-Sensory Stimulation

Alberto L. Vazquez¹, Mitsuhiro Fukuda¹, Seong-Gi Kim¹

The temporal evolution of the changes in cellular oxidative metabolism, tissue oxygen tension and blood oxygenation were investigated using flavoprotein auto-fluorescence imaging (FAI), oxygen microelectrodes and deoxyhemoglobin-sensitive optical imaging of intrinsic signal (OIS, a BOLD fMRI surrogate), respectively. Fast increases in cellular oxidative metabolism were observed with increases in neural activity using FAI. The results showed that the increase in CMRO2 prompted the need for oxygen from the surrounding tissue and blood shortly after, indicating that, temporally, the changes in blood oxygenation closely reflect the average changes in tissue oxygen but less so the changes in cellular CMRO2.