Method for assessment of cerebrovascular regulation

A system for detecting and diagnosing potential dysfunction of cerebral autoregulation (CAR) comprising:

• a headset, the headset containing:
• an oximetry sensor, the oximetry sensor configured to detect and measure cerebral oxygen concentration and provide cerebral oxygen concentration measurements over a period of time in the form of cerebral oxygen concentration signals;
• and
• a pressure sensor, the pressure sensor configured to detect and measure arterial blood pressure and provide arterial blood pressure measurements over the period of time in the form of arterial blood pressure signals,
• the headset is configured such that when placed on a patient's head the oximetry sensor is positioned over the patient's forehead and the pressure sensor is positioned over a region of the patient's head corresponding to the location of the patient's superficial temporal artery;
• the headset in communication with:
• a signal processor, the signal processor configured to receive cerebral oxygen concentration signals and arterial blood pressure signals and generate a cross-correlation result representative of lead time between the cerebral oxygen concentration signals and the arterial blood pressure signals;
• to identify and define a cerebral oxygen concentration waveform based on the cerebral oxygen concentration signals and an arterial blood pressure waveform based on the arterial blood pressure signals, wherein each waveform comprises a beginning minimum value, a rising segment, a maximum value and a decreasing segment, the rising segment being an episode of interest;
• and to determine a dysfunction of CAR when the cross-correlation result indicates a similarity of pattern between episodes of interest in the waveforms;
• and
• a display, the display configured to display the cerebral oxygen concentration waveform and the arterial blood pressure waveform, the display also configured to display the cross-correlation result and the dysfunction of CAR.