Application of IR thermometry to understanding brain function

摘要

Gliomas are a deadly class of brain tumor for which surgery is currently standard treatment. However, important functional areas must be avoided during tumor removal. Currently intraoperative stimulation-based mapping addresses this, however it has low spatial resolution (~ 1cm) and requires many stimulations. We explore an alternate approach to functional mapping via infrared thermography. Activated brain tissue recruits additional blood supply (neurovascular coupling), which raises local temperature. Intraoperative thermal imaging (ITI) can map several areas simultaneously with relatively high resolution (~0.1 mm). We present our experiences using ITI on two glioma patients, and compare our findings to the stimulation-based gold standard. Initial data suggests good correspondence between these methods, and opens possibilities for a complementary approach. Ultimately, the goal of ITI is to improve patient outcomes by precisely defining the extent of surgical resection and prevent postoperative neurologic deficits.