Brain Functional Imaging via Optical Coherence Tomography
Abstract
The main objective of this proposal is the development of a new functional imaging platform by using the structural imaging and Doppler velocimetry capabilities of optical coherence tomography. In this method, we use coherence tomography to record detailed information regarding the hemodynamic changes in the brain tissue and we use this data to reconstruct images that display the spatial and temporal distribution of neural activity. In other words, the method takes advantage of the widely distributed vascular network of the brain tissue as a distributed sensor to detect and map regional neural activity. The method has many significant benefits since a single coherence tomography scanner can perform functional imaging on the brain tissue without introducing any foreign chemical, contrast agent, or delivery of genetics constructs. Also, this method can image the brain tissue through the bone (thinned skull) which allows to keep the brain tissue healthy. Therefore, results of the experiments will be more reliable since the brain environment is less perturbed. Our goal is to run a sequence of experiments to demonstrate the feasibility of the technique and quantify the main specifications including the spatial and temporal resolution of the system and measure the precision of the technique once compared with other methods including electrophysiology and fluorescence microscopy.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Feb 25, 2019
- Source ID
- W911NF1810323
Entities
People
- Ramin Pashaie
Organizations
- Army Contracting Command
- United States Army
- University of Wisconsin–Milwaukee