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RESEARCH PROGRAM

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Research Units
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Scientific and education field classification
International Patent Classification
  • HUMAN NECESSITIES
    • MEDICAL OR VETERINARY SCIENCE; HYGIENE
      • DIAGNOSIS; SURGERY; IDENTIFICATION (analysing biological material G01N, e.g. G01N33/48; obtaining records using waves other than optical waves, in general G03B42/00)
  • PHYSICS
    • MEASURING (counting G06M); TESTING
      • INVESTIGATING OR ANALYSING MATERIALS BY DETERMINING THEIR CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROPERTIES (separating components of materials in general B01D, B01J, B03, B07; apparatus fully provided for in a single other subclass, see the relevant subclass e.g. B01L; measuring or testing processes other than immunoassay, involving enzymes or micro-organisms C12M, C12Q; investigation of foundation soil in situ E02D1/00; sensing humidity changes for compensating measurements of other variables or for compensating readings of instruments for variations in humidity, see G01D or the relevant subclass for the variable measured; testing or determining the properties of structures G01M; measuring or investigating electric or magnetic properties of materials G01R; systems or methods in general, using reception or emission of radiowaves or other waves and based on propagation effects, e.g. Doppler effect, propagation time, direction of propagation, G01S; determining sensivity, graininess, or density of photographic materials G03C5/02; testing component parts of nuclear reactors G21C17/00; [N: controlling or regulating non-electric variables G05D; measuring degree of ionisation of ionised gases, i.e. plasma H05H1/00A; testing electrographic developer properties G03G15/08H6])
      • MEASUREMENT OF INTENSITY, VELOCITY, SPECTRAL CONTENT, POLARISATION, PHASE OR PULSE CHARACTERISTICS OF INFRA-RED, VISIBLE OR ULTRA-VIOLET LIGHT; COLORIMETRY; RADIATION PYROMETRY (light sources F21, H01J, H01K, H05B; investigating properties of materials by optical means G01N)
Geographical classification
Keywords
NEAR INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY; TIME-RESOLVED SPECTROSCOPY; OPTICAL IMAGING; TISSUE OPTICS; FUNCTIONAL NEUROIMAGING; OXYGENATION; FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC RESONANCE IMAGING; BOLD CONTRAST; SOMATOSENSORY SYSTEM

Time-resolved near infrared spectroscopy for non-invasive functional human brain mapping

Politecnico di Milano
Abstract
Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a novel noninvasive technique that employs diffuse light to probe the brain for changes in parameters relating to brain function. Human brain mapping by fNIRS measurements is a promising but challenging task. The information on functional mapping comes in fact from small variations of optical properties occurring in localized area of the brain activated by selective stimuli. Therefore, both advanced systems for accurate measurements of diffusively reflected photons, and accurate models and algorithms for interpreting photon migration data are needed so as to contribute to the success of fNIRS.
The project aims at a deeper understanding of fNIRS technique by exploiting a multidisciplinary approach based on the synergy among research groups of well known expertise in the field of: i) physics, photonics and design of advanced optical instruments for biomedical applications (UdR POLIMI); ii) theory of photon migration and tissue optics (UdR UNIFI); iii) pathophysiology of oxygen transport to tissues and fNIRS by continous wave (NIRS-CW) instruments (UdR UNIAQ); iv) functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and neurophysiology (UdR UNIMO).
A novel optical system will be developed, based on time-resolved near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS-TR), with high-temporal resolution and fast data analysis. The use of the temporal approach to photon migration, together with multichannel capabilities, will allow us to >>>

Principal Investigator
Rinaldo CUBEDDU Politecnico di MILANO
Research Objectives
Functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) allows for the non-invasive investigation of regional concentration changes in oxyhaemoglobin [O2Hb] and deoxyhaemoglobin [HHb] secondary to brain activation. In the last 6-7 years some multi-channel two wavelengths continuous wave NIRS systems (NIRS-CW) have been developed and tested to provide spatial maps of [O2Hb] and [HHb] changes of frontal, temporal, parietal, and visual cortical areas upon different stimuli. The Japanese companies Hitachi and Shimadzu have recently developed commercial NIRS-CW instrumentations, however only Hitachi systems are nowadays available in Europe. Although interesting data have been generated using multi-channel NIRS-CW devices, the assumptions of this approach are not adequate for accurate studies of focal changes as elicited in the cortex by functional stimulation. More recently several researchers (including UdR POLIMI) have been working on time-resolved imaging systems (NIRS-TR) that are capable of providing absolute concentration of [O2Hb], [HHb], tissue scattering coefficients and differential pathlength factor, therefore increasing the informative content of fNIRS data.
The main goal of the project is to assess the potentiality of NIRS-TR technique for functional human brain mapping by combining state-of-the-art optoelectronic devices, novel models and algorithms for photon migration, expertise in monitoring brain oxygenation and oxidative metabolism by NIRS-CW, and support and >>>

Timescale
24 months
National and international background
Great advancements in the understanding of human brain function have been made possible by the development of functional neuroimaing techniques, such as positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). In particular, fMRI has a much better spatial and temporal resolution than PET [1], and is much less invasive. fMRI has been used to investigate cerebral regions activated by various experimental protocols, either motor, sensory or cognitive [2]. In the past twelve years, various fMRI-based techniques have been developed. One of these techniques takes advantage, as an endogenous intravascular contrast agent, of local deoxygenated hemoglobin (HHb) whose changes in concentration are associated with neuronal activity (BOLD effect: Blood Oxygenation Level Dependent) [3-4]. The oxygenation response expected over an activated cortical area consists of an early brief increase in [HHb], which reflects the oxygen demand. This is followed by a compensatory increase in regional cerebral blood flow, so that oxygen supply exceeds extraction, and causes a net decrease in [HHb] (for a recent review see [5]).
Recent studies have combined PET and fMRI with functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a novel technique that employs diffuse light to probe the brain for changes in parameters relating to brain function [6]. Multimodal fNIRS and PET or fMRI studies demonstrated that the oxygenation changes (reflecting the dynamic balance between O2 >>>