Merging Diffuse Optical Tomography with EEG, MEG and MRI for Neurovascular Exams

描述（由申请人提供）：本研究的目的是推进用于无创、同时测量人脑中与神经电流和血液动力学相关的信号的技术。 扩散光学断层扫描（DOT）是近红外光谱（NIRS）的成像扩展，用于以高时间分辨率测量脑血氧变化。 DOT与脑电图（EEG）和脑磁图（MEG）兼容，分别测量神经电流的电位和磁场。 结合DOT与EEG和MEG提供了一个窗口，在大脑中的神经和血管动力学之间的时间关系。 通过将DOT和EEG与功能性磁共振成像（fMRI）相结合，可以改善神经血管研究的空间定位。 对神经血管关系的研究将为我们对人类大脑生理学的理解以及对神经系统疾病患者的诊断和监测带来科学突破。 然而，这些研究需要新设计的探针，用于从具有多种测量模式的人头部同时测量。 这项工作的重点是重新设计DOT探头，以实现与EEG、MEG和MRI的几何一致性和材料兼容性。 这项研究有两个目的。 首先是解决多模态DOT探针的设计和制造。 关键技术指标是使用新探头优化断层扫描分辨率和光谱精度，同时保持与EEG、MEG和MRI的兼容性。 第二个目的是测试新探头的性能。 测试程序将包括测量各种头部形状上每个传感器下的接触力，并量化通过使用线性平台移动物理头部模型引起的运动伪影。 还将在健康人类志愿者中进行单独和多模式条件下的设置时间、受试者舒适度和信噪比的评价。 参与神经成像的本地研究和临床科学家将被邀请对探针进行严格审查。 多模式DOT探针的未来应用包括基于这项研究所实现的神经血管生物标志物改善诊断和治疗监测。 随着美国年龄相关性神经系统疾病的患病率增加，神经系统评估的新技术至关重要。 公共卫生相关性：这项研究将产生一种新的无创探头，用于同时测量与人脑功能相关的神经和血管信号。 需要这种新工具来支持神经影像学研究，旨在促进我们对神经活动和脑血流变化之间关系的理解。 对神经血管关系的研究最终将对理解衰老的大脑和诊断神经系统疾病有长期的好处。

DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The objective of this research is to advance the technology used for noninvasive, simultaneous measurement of signals related to neural currents and hemodynamics in the human brain. Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) is an imaging extension of near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) that is used to measure cerebral blood oxygenation changes with high temporal resolution. DOT is compatible with electroencephalography (EEG) and magnetoencephalography (MEG), which respectively measure electrical potential and magnetic fields from neural currents. Combining DOT with EEG and MEG provides a window into the temporal relationship between neural and vascular dynamics in the brain. Improved spatial localization for neurovascular studies can be achieved by combining DOT and EEG with functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Studies of the neurovascular relationship will bring scientific breakthroughs in our understanding of human brain physiology and in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with neurological diseases. These studies, however, require newly engineered probes for simultaneous measurement from the human head with multiple measurement modalities. The thrust of this work is to redesign the DOT probes to achieve geometric conformity and materials compatibility with EEG, MEG and MRI. This research has two aims. First is to address the design and fabrication of a multimodal DOT probe. The key specifications are to optimize the tomographic resolution and spectroscopic accuracy with a new probe while maintaining compatibility with EEG, MEG and MRI. The second aim is to test the performance of the new probe. The test procedure will include measuring contact forces under each sensor on a variety of head shapes and quantifying the motion artifacts induced by moving a physical head model with a linear stage. Evaluations will also be run on healthy human volunteers for the set- up time, subject comfort and signal-to-noise ratio under separate and multimodal conditions. Local research and clinical scientists involved in neuroimaging will be invited to offer critical review of the probes. Future applications of a multimodal DOT probe include improving diagnosis and treatment monitoring based on a neurovascular biomarker made possible by this research. New technologies for neurological assessment are vital as the prevalence of age-associated neurological disease increases in the United States. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: This research will produce a new noninvasive probe for concurrent measurement of neural and vascular signals related to human brain function. This new tool is needed to support neuroimaging research that aims to advance our understanding of the relationship between neural activity and cerebral blood flow changes. Research on the neurovascular relationship will ultimately have long-term benefits to understanding the aging brain and diagnosing neurological diseases.