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Updated: Jun 29, 2026
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Using Optical Coherence Tomography and Optokinetic Response As Structural and Functional Visual System Readouts in Mice and Rats
Published on: January 10, 2019
Optical coherence tomography guided neurosurgical procedures in small rodents
M Samir Jafri1, Rebecca Tang, Cha-Min Tang
1Research Service, Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Baltimore, MD, United States. sjafri@som.umaryland.edu
Journal of Neuroscience Methods
|October 8, 2008
Summary
Optical coherence tomography (OCT) provides real-time guidance for deep brain drug delivery, improving stereotactic procedures in live animals. This optical guidance ensures accurate targeting and delivery monitoring for neurological treatments.
Area of Science:
- Neurosurgery
- Biomedical Engineering
- Medical Imaging
Background:
- Stereotactic procedures are standard for deep brain therapeutic delivery but lack real-time feedback.
- Current methods cannot confirm precise targeting or agent distribution.
- This limitation hinders effective treatment of neurological disorders.
Purpose of the Study:
- To introduce an optical guidance technique for real-time feedback during stereotactic procedures.
- To enhance the accuracy and monitoring of therapeutic agent delivery in the brain.
- To validate the use of catheter-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) in live animal models.
Main Methods:
- Developed and integrated catheter-based optical coherence tomography (OCT) with stereotactic procedures.
- Utilized OCT for real-time position feedback based on rodent brain microanatomy.
- Performed microsurgery, including transection of Schaffer collaterals in the hippocampus.
- Monitored viral vector delivery to specific hippocampal subregions.
Main Results:
- OCT successfully provided real-time positional feedback using microanatomic landmarks in live rodent brains.
- The technique guided microsurgery with minimal disruption to surrounding tissues.
- Visual monitoring confirmed successful delivery of viral vectors to targeted hippocampal areas.
Conclusions:
- Catheter-based OCT offers real-time optical guidance for deep brain interventions.
- This technology enhances the precision and reliability of therapeutic delivery in neurological treatments.
- OCT integration with stereotactic surgery represents a significant advancement in treating brain disorders.
