Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jun 13, 2026
07:27
How to Administer Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Critically ill Neonates, Infants, and Children
Published on: August 19, 2020
Neonatal hemodynamic response to visual cortex activity: high-density near-infrared spectroscopy study
Steve M Liao1, Nick M Gregg, Brian R White
1Washington University School of Medicine, Department of Pediatrics and Department of Neurology and Department of Radiology, St. Louis, Missouri 63110, USA.
Journal of Biomedical Optics
|May 13, 2010
Summary
High-density near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) with signal regression improves brain imaging in newborns. This technique shows infant visual cortex responses are similar to adults, aiding early detection of neurodevelopmental issues.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Medical Imaging
- Pediatrics
Background:
- Neurodevelopmental outcomes in Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) infants are a significant clinical concern, with many exhibiting childhood neurobehavioral deficits.
- Functional neuroimaging offers potential for early identification of neural deficits in high-risk infants.
- Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) provides bedside functional neuroimaging but faces challenges with superficial vascular signal contamination.
Purpose of the Study:
- To adapt novel high-density NIRS arrays and a superficial signal regression technique for infant neuroimaging.
- To assess the feasibility and effectiveness of this improved NIRS method in healthy term-born infants.
- To investigate neurovascular coupling in the infant visual cortex during early life.
Main Methods:
- Utilized high-density NIRS arrays with multiple source-detector distances in healthy term-born infants within the first three days of life.
- Applied a superficial signal regression technique to mitigate scalp vascular signal contamination.
- Administered a visual stimulus without sedation to elicit brain activation.
Main Results:
- The superficial signal regression technique significantly enhanced the quality of brain activation signals.
- In six of eight infants, observed increases in oxyhemoglobin and total hemoglobin, with decreases in deoxyhemoglobin, were detected.
- These hemodynamic changes suggest neurovascular coupling in the term infant visual cortex resembles that of healthy adults.
Conclusions:
- High-density NIRS arrays, combined with superficial signal regression, are feasible for infant neuroimaging, improving signal quality.
- The findings support the similarity of visual cortex neurovascular coupling in term infants and adults.
- This study lays the groundwork for advancing high-density NIRS as a valuable clinical tool for infant neurodevelopmental assessment.
