Monitoring of Cerebral Blood Flow Autoregulation Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Blood flow to the brain is normally regulated to ensure a constant supply of blood with oxygen and nutrients. During heart surgery using cardiopulmonary bypass, blood pressure is kept at a level that may or may not be below an individual's lower level of brain blood flow autoregulation. If lower, the brain may be exposed to an inadequate blood flow that could result in brain damage. The purpose of this study is to examine whether monitoring with a non-invasive FDA approved device that measures oxygen saturation of the superficial layers of the brain (near infrared spectroscopy) can, when combined with blood pressure measurements, provide information on the blood pressure level where brain blood flow is not autoregulated. The goal of this research is to develop a method to individualize blood pressure during surgery to a level that is within a patient's brain blood flow autoregulation range as a means for improving outcomes for patient undergoing heart surgery.