XENON EFFECTS ON REGIONAL CEREBRAL BLOOD-FLOW ASSESSED BY O-15-H2O POSITRON EMISSION TOMOGRAPHY - IMPLICATIONS FOR HYPERPOLARIZED XENON MRI

Subjective and physiologic effects of 33% inhaled Xe were measured wit h O-15-water positron emission tomography (PET) in 3 subjects at rest and during visual stimulation, The procedure was well tolerated, Robus t functional activations of the visual cortex were obtained after xeno n (Xe) inhalation as well as air breathing, However, Xe inhalation was followed by smaller size, but significant decreases of regional cereb ral blood now (rCBF) in visual cortex relative to the air-breathing ba seline, both during visual stimulation and at Test. No such decreases were found in other sensory or motor regions.