Evaluating a new generation of wearable high-density diffuse optical tomography technology via retinotopic mapping of the adult visual cortex

Vidal-Rosas, E. E., Zhao, H., Nixon-Hill, R. W., Smith, G., Dunne, L., Powell, S., Cooper, R. J. and Everdell, N. L. (2021) Evaluating a new generation of wearable high-density diffuse optical tomography technology via retinotopic mapping of the adult visual cortex. Neurophotonics, 8(2), 025002. (doi: 10.1117/1.NPh.8.2.025002)

Abstract

High-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT) has been shown to approach the resolution and localization accuracy of blood oxygen level dependent-functional magnetic resonance imaging in the adult brain by exploiting densely spaced, overlapping samples of the probed tissue volume, but the technique has to date required large and cumbersome optical fiber arrays. : To evaluate a wearable HD-DOT system that provides a comparable sampling density to large, fiber-based HD-DOT systems, but with vastly improved ergonomics. : We investigated the performance of this system by replicating a series of classic visual stimulation paradigms, carried out in one highly sampled participant during 15 sessions to assess imaging performance and repeatability. : Hemodynamic response functions and cortical activation maps replicate the results obtained with larger fiber-based systems. Our results demonstrate focal activations in both oxyhemoglobin and deoxyhemoglobin with a high degree of repeatability observed across all sessions. A comparison with a simulated low-density array explicitly demonstrates the improvements in spatial localization, resolution, repeatability, and image contrast that can be obtained with this high-density technology. : The system offers the possibility for minimally constrained, spatially resolved functional imaging of the human brain in almost any environment and holds particular promise in enabling neuroscience applications outside of the laboratory setting. It also opens up new opportunities to investigate populations unsuited to traditional imaging technologies. [Abstract copyright: © 2021 The Authors.]

• Item Type: Articles
• Additional Information: R. J. C. was funded by Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council fellowship (No. EP/ N025946/1).
• Keywords: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy, high-density diffuse optical tomography, short-separation regression, visual stimuli, wearable.
• Status: Published
• Refereed: Yes
• Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID: UNSPECIFIED
• Authors: Vidal-Rosas, E. E., Zhao, H., Nixon-Hill, R. W., Smith, G., Dunne, L., Powell, S., Cooper, R. J., and Everdell, N. L.
• College/School: College of Science and Engineering > School of Engineering > Electronics and Nanoscale Engineering
• Journal Name: Neurophotonics
• Publisher: Society of Photo-optical Instrumentation Engineers
• ISSN: 2329-423X
• ISSN (Online): 2329-4248
• Published Online: 09 April 2021
• Copyright Holders: Copyright © 2021 The Authors
• First Published: First published in Neurophotonics 8(2): 025002
• Publisher Policy: Reproduced under a Creative Commons License