skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Changing topographic patterns of human cerebral blood flow with age measured by xenon CT

Journal Article · · AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States)

Changes in cerebral blood flow with age have been of long-standing interest. A study of 20 normal, healthy, right-handed volunteers 20-100 years old using a noninvasive method is reported. Local cerebral blood flow (LCBF) and partition coefficients (Llambda) were measured during inhalation of 35% stable xenon gas and serial computed tomographic (CT) scanning (CT-CBF). Relatively higher LCBF values were measured bilaterally in the cortex of occipital and frontal lobes; no significant differences were noted between left and right hemispheres. Significant age-related declines in LCBF values were observed for all cortical and subcortical gray and white matter regions of interest examined. Age-related declines were steepest in the cortex of the frontal lobes, particularly prefrontal cortex, caudate, putamen, and lentiform nuclei. Speech and visual cortical regions, functionally active throughout the normal life span, showed less age-related decline compared with all other regions, particularly prefrontal.

Research Organization:
Baylor Coll. of Medicine, Houston, TX
OSTI ID:
6728011
Journal Information:
AJR, Am. J. Roentgenol.; (United States), Vol. 142:5
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English