Utility of near-infrared spectroscopic measurements during deep hypothermic circulatory arrest

Background. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is used to monitor cerebral oxygenation during cardiac surgery. However, interpretation of the signals is controversial. The aim of the study was to determine which NIRS variable best correlated with brain damage as assessed by animal behavior and neurohistologic score and to compare the accuracy of NIRS and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) in predicting brain injury. Methods. Forty 5-week-old piglets underwent 60 minutes of deep hypothermic circulatory arrest (DHCA) at 15°C. Changes in brain adenosine triphosphate (ATP), phosphocreatine (PCr), and intracellular pH (pHi) were determined by MRS and correlated to changes in oxygenated hemoglobin (HbO2), deoxygenated hemoglobin (Hb), and oxidized cytochrome a,a3 (CytOx) NIRS signals. Brains were fixed on day 4 and examined using a neurohistologic score. Results. Reductions in CytOx and HbO2 values were correlated closely with decreases in ATP, PCr, and pHi. The changes in CytOx and PCr showed the strongest correlation (r = 0.623). Maximal CytOx reduction during DHCA of more than −25 μM * differential pathlength factor (DPF) predicted brain damage with a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 75%. The histologic score was also correlated with a decrease in ATP (r = −0.52 for CytOx; r = −0.32 for ATP); HbO2, PCr, and pHi showed no correlations. Conclusions. Reduction in CytOx correlates with decreased brain energy state and predicts histologic brain injury after DHCA with a high sensitivity. These data suggest that the level of CytOx could be a very important predictor of brain damage during DHCA.