NeuroImage
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Humans have long used cognitive enhancement methods to expand the proficiency and range of the various mental activities that they engage in, including writing to store and retrieve information, and computers that allow them to perform myriad activities that are now commonplace in the internet age. Neuroenhancement describes the use of neuroscience-based techniques for enhancing cognitive function by acting directly on the human brain and nervous system, altering its properties to increase performance. Cognitive neuroscience has now reached the point where it may begin to put theory derived from years of experimentation into practice. ⋯ They may also reduce the cost, duration and overall impact of brain and mental illness in patients with neurological and psychiatric illness. Potential disadvantages of these techniques are also discussed. Given that the benefits of neuroenhancement outweigh the potential costs, these methods could potentially reduce suffering and improve quality of life for everyone, while further increasing our knowledge about the mechanisms of human cognition.
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Diffuse optical tomography (DOT) has been used by several groups to assess cerebral hemodynamics of cerebral ischemia in humans and animals. In this study, we combined DOT with an indocyanine green (ICG)-tracking method to achieve interleaved images of cerebral hemodynamics and blood flow index (BFI) using two middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) rat models. To achieve volumetric images with high-spatial resolution, we first integrated a depth compensation algorithm (DCA) with a volumetric mesh-based rat head model to generate three-dimensional (3D) DOT on a rat brain atlas. ⋯ The acquired animal data were further analyzed using the integrated rat-atlas-guided DOT method to form time-evolving 3D images of both cerebral hemodynamics and BFI. In particular, we were able to show and identify therapeutic outcomes of a thrombolytic treatment applied to the embolism-induced ischemic model. This paper demonstrates that volumetric DOT is capable of providing high-quality, interleaved images of cerebral hemodynamics and blood perfusion in small animals during and after ischemic stroke, with excellent 3D visualization and quantifications.
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Review
Diffuse correlation spectroscopy for non-invasive, micro-vascular cerebral blood flow measurement.
Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) uses the temporal fluctuations of near-infrared (NIR) light to measure cerebral blood flow (CBF) non-invasively. Here, we provide a brief history of DCS applications in the brain with an emphasis on the underlying physical ideas, common instrumentation and validation. Then we describe recent clinical research that employs DCS-measured CBF as a biomarker of patient well-being, and as an indicator of hemodynamic and metabolic responses to functional stimuli.
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Chronic neuropathic pain is one of the most common and disabling symptoms in individuals with spinal cord injury (SCI). Over two-thirds of subjects with SCI suffer from chronic pain influencing quality of life, rehabilitation, and recovery. Given the refractoriness of chronic pain to most pharmacological treatments, the majority of individuals with SCI report worsening of this condition over time. Moreover, only 4-6% of patients in this cohort report improvement. Novel treatments targeting mechanisms associated with pain-maladaptive plasticity, such as electromagnetic neural stimulation, may be desirable to improve outcomes. To date, few, small clinical trials have assessed the effects of invasive and noninvasive nervous system stimulation on pain after SCI. ⋯ Chronic pain in SCI is disabling and resistant to common pharmacologic approaches. Electrical and magnetic neural stimulation techniques have been developed to offer a potential tool in the management of these patients. Although some of these techniques are associated with large standardized mean differences to reduce pain, we found an important variability in these results across studies. There is a clear need for the development of methods to decrease treatment variability and increase response to neural stimulation for pain treatment. We discuss potential methods such as neuroimaging or EEG-guided neural stimulation and the development of better surrogate markers of response such as TMS-indexed cortical plasticity.
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Comparative Study
Near-infrared spectroscopy versus magnetic resonance imaging to study brain perfusion in newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy treated with hypothermia.
The measurement of brain perfusion may provide valuable information for assessment and treatment of newborns with hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE). While arterial spin labeled perfusion (ASL) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) provides noninvasive and direct measurements of regional cerebral blood flow (CBF) values, it is logistically challenging to obtain. Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) might be an alternative, as it permits noninvasive and continuous monitoring of cerebral hemodynamics and oxygenation at the bedside. ⋯ NIRS is an effective bedside tool to monitor and understand brain perfusion changes in term asphyxiated newborns, which in conjunction with precise measurements of CBF obtained by MRI at particular times, may help tailor neuroprotective strategies in term newborns with HIE.