Diffuse optical tomography for the detection of perinatal stroke at the cot side: a pilot study

Area of Science:

• Neonatal neurology
• Medical imaging techniques
• Neuroscience

Background:

• Perinatal stroke is a significant cause of infant disability, frequently underdiagnosed.
• Early detection is crucial for timely intervention and improved outcomes.
• Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) offers a portable, non-invasive approach for neonatal brain monitoring.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the utility of DOT as an early detection tool for perinatal stroke in neonates.
• To assess the effectiveness of DOT in identifying brain activity alterations associated with perinatal stroke.
• To evaluate DOT's performance with and without MRI-guided stroke localization.

Main Methods:

• A pilot study involving four infants with perinatal stroke and four healthy controls.
• DOT was used to monitor hemoglobin signals within the first three days of life.
• Analysis focused on interhemispheric spectral power, correlation, and phase lag in low-frequency hemoglobin signals (0.0055-0.3 Hz).

Main Results:

• Significantly reduced interhemispheric correlations of oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin were observed in stroke-affected infants.
• These reductions were prominent in very low (0.0055-0.0095 Hz) and resting-state (0.01-0.08 Hz) frequencies (p < 0.003).
• No significant differences in spectral power were found between groups; results were consistent even without MRI guidance.

Conclusions:

• DOT, combined with low-frequency correlation analysis, shows potential for early perinatal stroke detection before MRI.
• This non-invasive technique may aid in identifying infants requiring further diagnostic evaluation.
• Further methodological advancements are needed to enhance DOT's sensitivity and specificity for perinatal stroke diagnosis.