Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Depth sensitivity analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy measurement using three-dimensional Monte Carlo modelling-based magnetic resonance imaging

  • Original Article
  • Published:
Lasers in Medical Science Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Theoretical analysis of spatial distribution of near-infrared light propagation in head tissues is very important in brain function measurement, since it is impossible to measure the effective optical path length of the detected signal or the effect of optical fibre arrangement on the regions of measurement or its sensitivity. In this study a realistic head model generated from structure data from magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was introduced into a three-dimensional Monte Carlo code and the sensitivity of functional near-infrared measurement was analysed. The effects of the distance between source and detector, and of the optical properties of the probed tissues, on the sensitivity of the optical measurement to deep layers of the adult head were investigated. The spatial sensitivity profiles of photons in the head, the so-called banana shape, and the partial mean optical path lengths in the skin-scalp and brain tissues were calculated, so that the contribution of different parts of the head to near-infrared spectroscopy signals could be examined. It was shown that the signal detected in brain function measurements was greatly affected by the heterogeneity of the head tissue and its scattering properties, particularly for the shorter interfibre distances.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. McCormick PW, Stewart M, Lewis G, Dujovny M, Ausman JI (1992) Intracerebral penetration of infrared light; technical notes. J Neurosurg 76:315–318

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Gratton G, Maier JS, Fabiani M, Mantulin WW, Gratton E (1994) Feasibility of intracranial near-infrared optical scanning. Psychophysiology 31:211–215

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  3. Villringer A, Planck J, Hock C, Schleinkofer L, Dirnagl U (1993) Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS): a new tool to study hemodynamic changes during activation of brain function in human adults. Neurosci Lett 154:101–104

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Villringer A (1997) Functional neuroimaging optical approaches. Adv Exp Med Biol 413:1–18

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Gratton G, Corballis PM, Cho E, Fabiani M, Hood DC (1995) Shades of gray matter: noninvasive optical images of human brain responses during visual stimulation. Psychophysiology 32:505–509

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  6. Koizumi H, Yamashita Y, Maki A, Yamamoto T, Ito Y, Itagaki H, Kennan R (1999) Higher-order brain function analysis by trans-cranial dynamic near-infrared spectroscopy imaging. J Biomed Opt 4:403–413

    Article  Google Scholar 

  7. Hoshi Y, Tamura M (1993) Detection of dynamic changes in cerebral oxygenation coupled to neuronal function during mental work in man. Neurosci Lett 150:5–8

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  8. Chance B, Zhuang Z, UnAh C, Lipton L (1993) Cognition-activated low-frequency modulation of light absorption in human brain. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 90:3770–3774

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Meek JH, Elwell CE, Khan MJ, Romaya J, Wyatt JS, Delpy DT, Zeki S (1995) Regional changes in cerebral haemodynamics as a result of a visual stimulus measured by near infrared spectroscopy. Proc Biol Sci 261:351–356

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  10. Heekeren HR, Obrig H, Wenzel H, Eberle R, Ruben J, Villringer K, Kurth R, Villringer A (1997) Cerebral haemoglobin oxygenation during sustained visual simulation—a near-infrared spectroscopy study. Philos Trans R Soc Lond B Biol Sci 352:743–750

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  11. Obrig H, Hirth C, Junge-Hülsing JG, Döge C, Wolf T, Dirnag U, Villringer A (1996) Cerebral oxygenation changes in response to motor stimulation. J Appl Physiol 81:1174–1183

    CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Hoshi Y, Shimada M, Sato C, Igushi Y (2005) Reevaluation of near-infrared light propagation in the adult human head: implications for functional near-infrared spectroscopy. J Biomed Opt 10:0640321–10

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Kashou NH, Xu R, Roberts CJ, Leguire LE (2007) Using FMRI and FNIRS for localization and monitoring of visual cortex activities. Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol 1:2634–2638

    Google Scholar 

  14. Okada E, Firbank M, Schweiger M, Arridge SR, Cope M, Delpy DT (1997) Theoretical and experimental investigation of near-infrared light propagation in a model of the adult head. Appl Opt 36:21–31

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Boas D, Culver J, Stott J, Dunn A (2002) Three dimensional Monte Carlo code for photon migration through complex heterogeneous media including the adult human head. Opt Express 10:159–170

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  16. Barnett AH, Culver JP, Sorensen AG, Dale A, Boas DA (2003) Robust inference of baseline optical properties of the human head with three-dimensional segmentation from magnetic resonance imaging. Appl Opt 42:3095–3106

    Article  Google Scholar 

  17. Heiskala J, Neuvonen T, Grant PE, Nissilä I (2007) Significance of tissue anisotropy in optical tomography of the infant brain. Appl Opt 46:1633–1640

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Firbank M, Arridge SR, Schweiger M, Delpy DT (1996) An investigation of light transport through scattering bodies with non-scattering regions. Phys Med Biol 41:767–783

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Gibson AP, Hebden JC, Riley J, Everdell N, Schweiger M, Arridge SR, Delpy DT (2005) Linear and nonlinear reconstruction for optical tomography of phantoms with nonscattering regions. Appl Opt 44:3925–3936

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Seehusen DA, Reeves MM, Fomin DA (2003) Cerebrospinal fluid analysis. Am Fam Physician 68:1103–1108

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Ripoll J, Nieto-Vesperinas A, Arridge SR, Dehghani H (2000) Boundary conditions for light propagation in diffuse media with nonscattering regions. J Opt Soc Am A 17:1671–1681

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. Churmakov DY, Meglinski IV, Greenhalgh DA (2002) Influence of refractive index matching on the photon diffuse reflectance. Phys Med Biol 47:4271–4285

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Mansouri C, L’Huillier JP (2007) Time-resolved photon migration through an adult head model: comparison between finite element and Monte Carlo calculations. In: Vogel A (Ed) Therapeutic laser applications and laser-tissue interactions. Proc SPIE 6632:66320L1–8

  24. Meglinski IV, Matcher SJ (2001) Analysis of the spatial distribution of the detector sensitivity in a multilayer randomly inhomogeneous medium with strong light scattering and absorption by the Monte Carlo method. Opt Spectrosc 91:692–697

    Article  Google Scholar 

  25. Wang L, Jacques SL (1995) MCML–Monte Carlo modelling of light transport in multi-layered tissues. Comput Methods Programs Biomed 47:131–146

    Article  CAS  PubMed  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

This work was part of a collaboration between Laboratory LPMI-EA 1427, Arts et Métiers Paris Tech Angers, France, and The Children’s Radiological Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, Columbus, OH, USA.

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Laboratoire Procédés–Matériaux–Instrumentation (LPMI)-EA 1427, Arts et Métiers Paris Tech, 2 Boulevard du Ronceray, BP 93525, Angers, France

    Chemseddine Mansouri & Jean-Pierre L’Huillier

  2. The Children’s Radiological Institute, Nationwide Children’s Hospital, 700 Children’s Drive, Columbus, OH, USA

    Nasser H. Kashou

  3. Laboratoire d’Ingénierie des Systèmes Automatisés (LISA) EA4094, Angers, France

    Anne Humeau

Authors
  1. Chemseddine Mansouri
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Jean-Pierre L’Huillier
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Nasser H. Kashou
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. Anne Humeau
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Chemseddine Mansouri.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Mansouri, C., L’Huillier, JP., Kashou, N.H. et al. Depth sensitivity analysis of functional near-infrared spectroscopy measurement using three-dimensional Monte Carlo modelling-based magnetic resonance imaging. Lasers Med Sci 25, 431–438 (2010). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-010-0754-4

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10103-010-0754-4

Keywords

Search

Navigation