Regional cerebral oxygen utilization and blood flow in normal man using oxygen-15 and positron emission tomography.

Quantitative determination of regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF), regional cerebral oxygen utilization (rCMRO2) and regional oxygen extraction ratio (rOER) was performed in 11 normal volunteers by an oxygen 15 inhalation method and positron emission tomography. Regional values comparable with figures from the literature have been obtained. This non-invasive approach offers the possibility of a simultaneous quantitative evaluation of these physiological parameters in health and disease.