Dielectric properties of human brain tissue measured less than 10 h postmortem at frequencies from 800 to 2450 MHz

Abstract

The dielectric properties of gray matter in the frequency range of 800–2450 MHz were measured on 20 human brains immediately after excision, less than 10 h after death. The brains were obtained during autopsy of 10 male and 10 female humans who died at ages between 47.5 and 87.5 years [70.4 ± 9.8 years, mean ± standard deviation (SD)]. The tissue temperature at the measurement sites ranged between 18 and 25 °C (21.35 ± 1.6 °C, mean ± SD). On each brain, four specific locations on the temporal lobe were measured on the right and left sides, i.e., 160 different measurements of the dielectric properties were performed. The dielectric probe was placed on the intact arachnoid on a gyrus in the selected area. The measurements yielded a mean value (±SD) of gray matter equivalent conductivity of 1.13 ± 0.12 and 2.09 ± 0.16 S/m at 800 and 2450 MHz, respectively. The mean value of measured relative permittivity was 58.2 ± 3.3 and 54.7 ± 3.3 at 800 and 2450 MHz, respectively. Taking into account a positive temperature coefficient of equivalent conductivity, these measurements indicate that the equivalent conductivity of human gray matter at body temperature is somewhat higher than today's generally accepted value, which is based on measurements on animal tissue and excised samples of human tissue measured more than 24 h postmortem. Bioelectromagnetics 24:423–430, 2003.