Coherent Hemodynamics Spectroscopy Used to Diagnose Brain Damage Resulting from Concussions, Strokes, and Dementia

New optical diagnostic technology has the potential to provide a new way to identify and monitor brain damage resulting from traumatic injury, stroke, or vascular dementia in real time and without invasive procedures.

Coherent hemodynamics spectroscopy (CHS), a new technology developed by Tufts University (Medford/Somerville, MA, USA) professor of biomedical engineering Sergio Fantini, measures blood flow, blood volume, and oxygen consumption in the brain. It uses noninvasive near infrared (NIR) light technology to scan brain tissue, and then applies mathematical algorithms to interpret that data. “CHS is based on measurements of brain hemodynamics that are interpreted according to unique algorithms that generate measures of cerebral blood flow, blood volume and oxygen consumption,” said Prof. Fantini. “This technique can be used not only to assess brain diseases but also to study the blood flow and how it is regulated in the healthy brain.”

Tufts University has licensed CHS on a non-exclusive basis to ISS (Champaign, IL, USA), a company that specializes in technology to measure hemoglobin concentration and oxygenation in brain and muscle tissue. “Potentially the market for CHS is large as it encompasses several applications from the monitoring of cerebrovascular disorders to assessing neurological disorders,” stated Beniamino Barbieri, president of ISS. “It reminds me of the introduction of ultrasound technology at beginning of the seventies; nobody back then knew how to utilize the new technology and of course, nowadays, its applications are ubiquitous in any medical center.”

CHS uses laser diodes which emit NIR light that is delivered to the scalp by fiber optics. Light waves are absorbed by the blood vessels in the brain. Remaining light is reflected back to sensors, resulting in optical signals that oscillate with time as a result of the heartbeat, respiration, or other sources of variations in the blood pressure. By analyzing the light signals with algorithms developed for this purpose, Prof. Fantini’s model is able to evaluate blood flow and the way the brain regulates it, which is one marker for brain health.

CHS technology has been evaluated among patients undergoing hemodialysis at Tufts Medical Center. Earlier published research has reported a lower cerebral blood flow in dialysis patients compared with healthy patients. “Noninvasive ways to measure local changes in cerebral blood flow, particularly during periods of stress such as hemodialysis, surgeries, and in the setting of stroke, could have major implications for maintaining healthy brain function,” said Daniel Weiner, MD, a nephrologist at Tufts Medical Center (Tufts MC) and associate professor of medicine at Tufts University School of Medicine (TUSM), who is a member of the research team.

Josh Kornbluth, MD, a neurologist at Tufts MC, and associate professor of medicine at TUSM, is also working with Prof. Fantini to study CHS’s potential to evaluate the cerebrovascular state of patients who suffer traumatic brain injury or stroke. They hope to assess CHS further among neurologic critical care patients.

“Having data about local cerebral blood flow and whether it is properly regulated can allow us to more accurately develop individualized therapy and interventions instead of choosing a ‘one size fits all’ approach to traumatic brain injury, stroke, or subarachnoid hemorrhage,” Dr. Kornbluth concluded.

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