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Quantitative assessment techniques of cerebral oxygen metabolism based on magnetic resonance imaging and their clinical application progress
GAO Haoli  GAO Ying  LIU Jihua  LU Xiudi 

DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.031.


[Abstract] Cerebral oxygen metabolism, as a core process for maintaining normal brain function, relies on key parameters such as the oxygen extraction fraction (OEF), cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO₂), and venous oxygen saturation (SvO₂). These parameters serve as critical indicators for evaluating cerebral oxygen utilization and metabolic status. Precise quantitative analysis of these indicators is of great value for an in-depth understanding of brain tissue activity and functional state. Traditional assessment methods, such as positron emission tomography (PET), are plagued by issues including radiation exposure, operational complexity, and high costs. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) technology is limited by its shallow penetration depth, making it difficult to evaluate deep brain tissues.In contrast, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has garnered significant attention in recent years due to its advantages of being non-invasive, providing whole-brain coverage, and offering high resolution.The development and continuous updates of a series of novel techniques and sequences have facilitated more precise assessments of cerebral oxygen metabolism.This article reviews the latest advancements in MRI-based quantitative assessment techniques for cerebral oxygen metabolism, including quantitative susceptibility mapping (QSM), quantitative blood-oxygen-level dependent (qBOLD) imaging, the combined QQ (qBOLD+QSM) technique, and 3D-TRIP MRI (3-D-TRiple-acquisition-after-Inversion-Preparation magnetic resonance imaging), among others. It also analyzed the applications of these technologies in central nervous system diseases, as well as the current research limitations, and proposed future research directions. This article aims to provide a reference basis for the further optimization and clinical translation of MRI technologies, with the expectation of more precisely elucidating the mechanisms of cerebral oxygen metabolism and offering new insights and directions for research in the field of cerebral oxygen metabolism assessment in central nervous system diseases.
[Keywords] cerebral oxygen metabolism；oxygen extraction fraction；cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen；magnetic resonance imaging；central nervous system diseases

GAO Haoli1, 2   GAO Ying2, 3   LIU Jihua1, 2   LU Xiudi1, 2*  

1 Department of Medical Imaging, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300381, China

2 National Clinical Medicine Research Center of Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Tianjin 300381, China

3 Emergency Department, First Teaching Hospital of Tianjin University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Tianjin 300381, China

Corresponding author: LU X D, E-mail: luxiudi2005@126.com

Conflicts of interest   None.

Received  2025-09-11
Accepted  2025-10-30
DOI: 10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.031
DOI:10.12015/issn.1674-8034.2025.11.031.

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