Non-invasive diffuse optical monitoring of cerebral physiology in an adult swine-model of impact traumatic brain injury.

In this study, we used diffuse optics to address the need for non-invasive, continuous monitoring of cerebral physiology following traumatic brain injury (TBI). We combined frequency-domain and broadband diffuse optical spectroscopy with diffuse correlation spectroscopy to monitor cerebral oxygen metabolism, cerebral blood volume, and cerebral water content in an established adult swine-model of impact TBI. Cerebral physiology was monitored before and after TBI (up to 14 days post injury). Overall, our results suggest that non-invasive optical monitoring can assess cerebral physiologic impairments post-TBI, including an initial reduction in oxygen metabolism, development of cerebral hemorrhage/hematoma, and brain swelling.