Functional near-infrared spectroscopy for intraoperative brain mapping

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Neuroimaging
• Brain Mapping

Background:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging seizure-free brain imaging technique.
• Its utility for intraoperative functional brain mapping remains largely unexplored.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the feasibility and accuracy of fNIRS for intraoperative functional brain mapping in patients undergoing awake brain surgery.
• To compare fNIRS mapping with direct cortical stimulation (DCS).

Main Methods:

• A specialized intraoperative fNIRS probe was used in 18 adult patients during awake craniotomy.
• Patients performed language and motor tasks during fNIRS monitoring.
• fNIRS data was compared with DCS, and the influence of mean blood pressure (MBP) and hemoglobin was analyzed.

Main Results:

• fNIRS mapping demonstrated high correlation with DCS for several language and motor tasks.
• fNIRS successfully identified functional language and motor areas.
• fNIRS accuracy was lower than DCS for both language and motor mapping.
• Higher MBP and hemoglobin levels correlated with improved fNIRS results.
• No seizures or complications were reported during fNIRS use.

Conclusions:

• fNIRS is a promising, seizure-free technique for intraoperative brain mapping.
• Current fNIRS technology requires further development to enhance accuracy for clinical use.