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Near infrared spectroscopy in brain injury: today’s perspective

  • Conference paper
Intracranial Pressure and Brain Monitoring XII

Part of the book series: Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum ((NEUROCHIRURGICA,volume 95))

Summary

The technique of near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is based on the principle of light attenuation by the chromophores oxyhaemoglobin (HbO2), deoxyhaemoglobin (Hb) and cytochrome oxidase. Changes in the detected light levels can therefore represent changes in concentrations of these chromophores.

Clinical use of NIRS in the brain has been well established in neonates where transillumination is possible. While it has become a useful research tool for monitoring the adult brain, clinical application has been hampered by the fact that it must be applied in reflectance mode. This has resulted in a number of concerns, most significantly the issue of signal contamination by the extracranial tissue layers. Algorithms have been applied to try to overcome this problem, and techniques such as time resolved, phase resolved and spatially resolved spectroscopy have been developed.

There has been renewed interest in NIRS as an easy to use, noninvasive technique for measuring tissue oxygenation in the adult brain. Recent technical advances have led to the development of compact, portable instruments that detect changes in optical attenuation of several wavelengths of light.

Near infrared spectroscopy is an evolving technology that holds significant potential for technical advancement. In particular, NIRS shows future promise as a clinical tool for bedside cerebral blood flow measurements and as a cerebral imaging modality for mapping structure and function.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Academic Neurosurgery Unit, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, UK

    P. G. Al-Rawi

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  1. P. G. Al-Rawi
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Correspondence to P. G. Al-Rawi .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Prince of Wales Hospital, The Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China

    Wai S. Poon , Matthew T. V. Chan , Keith Y. C. Goh , Joseph M. K. Lam  & Stephanie C. P. Ng , , ,  & 

  2. Medical College of Virginia Commonwealth University, Virginia, USA

    Anthony Marmarou

  3. Academisch Ziekenhuis Dijkzigt, Erasmus University Rotterdam, Rotterdam, The Netherlands

    Cees J. J. Avezaat

  4. Addenbrooke’s Hospital, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK

    John D. Pickard , Marek Czosnyka  & Peter J. A. Hutchinson ,  & 

  5. School of Medicine, Nihon University, Tokyo, Japan

    Yoichi Katayama

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© 2005 Springer-Verlag

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Al-Rawi, P.G. (2005). Near infrared spectroscopy in brain injury: today’s perspective. In: Poon, W.S., et al. Intracranial Pressure and Brain Monitoring XII. Acta Neurochirurgica Supplementum, vol 95. Springer, Vienna. https://doi.org/10.1007/3-211-32318-X_93

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/3-211-32318-X_93

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Vienna

  • Print ISBN: 978-3-211-24336-7

  • Online ISBN: 978-3-211-32318-2

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