Laser-Doppler flowmetry has potential for continuous cerebral blood flow (CBF) measurement in man and experimental animals. However, laser-Doppler flux (LDFx) measured when perfusion is absent (the biological zero, 0biol) does not necessarily coincide with the instrument's electrical zero. To evaluate laser-Doppler flowmetry further we have compared LDFx in rabbits with continuous measurement of the maximum flow velocity (FVx) in the basilar artery using Doppler ultrasonography. Arterial blood pressure (ABP), FVx, and LDFx were measured continuously in anesthetized New Zealand White rabbits. ABP was altered by controlled hemorrhage with subsequent reinfusion. 0biol was estimated from regression analysis of FVx vs. LDFx and compared with 0biol obtained after death. There was a strong linear relationship between LDFx and FVx (r = 0.94). The absolute difference between estimated 0biol and true 0biol was 5.24% of control prehemorrhage LDFx. Variations in 0biol (range 4-409) suggest that percent changes in LDFx must be related to 0biol if results between individual animals are to be compared.