Final answer:
Cerebral oximetry measures cerebral oxygenation, which evaluates the level of oxygen saturation in the brain. It is a non-invasive monitoring tool typically used during surgery to ensure that the brain receives enough oxygen.
Step-by-step explanation:
Cerebral oximetry is a non-invasive method used for monitoring the oxygen saturation of the brain. Specifically, cerebral oximetry measures cerebral oxygenation. This consists of using sensors placed on the patient's head to detect the level of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin, which gives an overall measure of how well oxygen is being supplied to the brain tissue. A typical clinical use for cerebral oximetry is during surgeries that could potentially compromise blood flow to the brain to ensure adequate oxygen delivery and prevent neurological damage.
Techniques like pulse oximetry are used for general monitoring of blood oxygen levels and can help to determine a person's metabolic rate, athletic conditioning, and can indicate certain medical problems. On the other hand, technologies such as functional MRI (fMRI) can measure changes in blood flow related to neural activity and can be used for mapping brain functions due to the blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD) contrast.