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Thinned-skull Cortical Window Technique for In Vivo Optical Coherence Tomography Imaging
Published on: November 19, 2012
Depth-resolved microscopy of cortical hemodynamics with optical coherence tomography
Vivek J Srinivasan1, Sava Sakadzić, Iwona Gorczynska
1Photon Migration Imaging Laboratory, MGH/MIT/HMS Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging,Massachusetts General Hospital/Harvard Medical School, Charlestown, Massachusetts 02129, USA.
Optics Letters
|October 20, 2009
Summary
High-speed optical coherence tomography (OCT) measures brain blood flow changes during neural activity. This technique reveals detailed hemodynamic responses in the rat cortex, advancing our understanding of functional hyperemia.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biomedical Engineering
- Optical Imaging
Background:
- Cortical hemodynamics, the regulation of blood flow in the brain's cortex, is crucial for understanding neural activity.
- Functional hyperemia, an increase in blood flow during neural activation, is a key indicator of brain function.
- Microscopic-level insights into these processes have been limited by imaging resolution and speed.
Purpose of the Study:
- To present a novel application of high-speed spectral/Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) for depth-resolved microscopy of cortical hemodynamics.
- To quantify stimulus-evoked changes in microvascular parameters during functional activation in the rat somatosensory cortex.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-speed spectral/Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT) for depth-resolved imaging.
- Measured blood vessel diameter, blood flow velocity, and total hemoglobin concentration.
- Applied functional activation paradigms to the rat somatosensory cortex.
Main Results:
- Successfully measured depth-resolved hemodynamic changes in cortical blood vessels during functional activation.
- Observed stimulus-evoked alterations in vessel diameter, flow, and total hemoglobin.
- Demonstrated the capability of OCT to visualize and quantify microvascular responses in real-time.
Conclusions:
- High-speed OCT provides unprecedented microscopic detail of cortical hemodynamics.
- This technique is a significant advancement for studying functional hyperemia at the microvascular level.
- Further research using OCT can deepen our understanding of neurovascular coupling and brain function.
