Optical Brain Scanner Goes Where Other Brain Scanners Cannot

According to new research at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis that is now available online in Nature Photonics, scientists have advanced a brain-scanning technology that tracks what the brain is doing by shining dozens of tiny LED lights on the head. This new generation of neuroimaging avoids the radiation exposure and bulky magnets other approaches require. Suited for children and for patients with electronic implants, such as deep brain stimulators, the new technology is called diffuse optical tomography (DOT). The new DOT instrument covers two-thirds of the head and for the first time can image brain processes taking place in multiple regions and brain networks such as those involved in language processing and daydreaming. The technique works by detecting light transmitted through the head and capturing the dynamic changes in color of the brain tissue. Unlike functional MRI and PET, DOT technology is designed to be portable, so it could be used at a patient’s beside or in the operating room. To learn more about the study, click here.