Diffuse Correlation Spectroscopy (DCS) for Assessment of Tissue Blood Flow in Skeletal Muscle: Recent Progress

Area of Science:

• Physiology
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Near-infrared diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a non-invasive optical technique.
• Monitoring skeletal muscle blood flow is crucial for physiological and clinical assessments.
• Emerging technologies are enhancing the capabilities of DCS.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review recent advancements in DCS for skeletal muscle blood flow assessment.
• To highlight technological developments enabling dynamic exercise and electrical stimulation measurements.
• To discuss the diagnostic and therapeutic evaluation applications of DCS in muscle vascular diseases.

Main Methods:

• Review of recent scientific literature on DCS applications in skeletal muscle.
• Analysis of technological innovations in DCS hardware and software.
• Synthesis of findings from studies on dynamic exercise, electrical stimulation, disease diagnosis, and treatment effects.

Main Results:

• DCS technology has evolved for use during dynamic exercise and electrical stimulation.
• DCS shows promise for diagnosing muscle vascular diseases.
• DCS is valuable for evaluating the efficacy of treatments for muscle conditions.

Conclusions:

• DCS is a rapidly progressing technology for skeletal muscle blood flow monitoring.
• Further research is needed to address current limitations and expand future applications.
• DCS holds significant potential for both research and clinical practice in muscle physiology and vascular health.