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Intraoperative infrared functional imaging of human brain
Author(s) -
Gorbach Alexander M.,
Heiss John,
Kufta Conrad,
Sato Susumo,
Fedio Paul,
Kammerer William A.,
Solomon Jeffrey,
Oldfield Edward H.
Publication year - 2003
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.10646
Subject(s) - functional magnetic resonance imaging , somatosensory system , neuroscience , cerebral blood flow , functional imaging , stimulation , brain mapping , cerebral cortex , sensory stimulation therapy , psychology , medicine , anesthesia
We hypothesized that it would be possible to detect the distribution of cortical activation by using a sensitive, rapid, high‐resolution infrared imaging technique to monitor changes in local cerebral blood flow induced by changes in focal cortical metabolism. In a prospective study, we recorded in 21 patients the emission of infrared radiation from the exposed human cerebral cortex at baseline, during language and motor tasks, and during stimulation of the contralateral median nerve using an infrared camera (sensitivity 0.02°C). The language and sensorimotor cortex was identified by standard mapping methods (cortical stimulation, median nerve somatosensory‐evoked potential, functional magnetic resonance imaging), which were compared with infrared functional localization. The temperature gradients measured during surgery are dominated by changes in local cerebral blood flow associated with evoked functional activation. The distribution of the evoked temperature changes overlaps with, but extends beyond, functional regions identified by standard mapping techniques. The distribution observed via infrared mapping is consistent with distributed and complex functional representation of the cerebral cortex, rather than the traditional concept of discrete functional loci demonstrated by brief cortical stimulation during surgery and by noninvasive functional imaging techniques. By providing information on the spatial and temporal patterns of sensory‐motor and language representation, infrared imaging may prove to be a useful approach to study brain function. Ann Neurol 2003