Diffuse optical imaging of the newborn infant brain

Diffuse optical imaging has been developed at University College London (UCL) as a new method of assessing cerebral function and pathology in the newborn infant brain. The technique exploits the relative transparency of biological tissue to near-infrared light (700-1000nm) and the wavelength dependent absorption characteristics of hemoglobin, which vary with oxygenation. Methods have been developed to localize rapid hemodynamic changes resulting from functional activation of the cerebral cortex, and to generate three-dimensional images representing the spatial variation in cerebral blood volume and oxygenation. Previous studies have also been made of the brains of infants with intraventricular hemorrhage, hypoxic-ischemic injury, and epileptic seizures. This paper summarizes preliminary measurements performed with a new time-resolved system.