According to some doctors based in California, an advanced technique for brain imaging may eventually replace functional MRI and change the scene of neuroimaging permanently.
Physicians from the USC Keck School of Medicine in alliance with researchers from the California Institute of Technology created detailed images of the brain with the help of functional photoacoustic computerized topography or fPACT. This technology was earlier used in tissue models and animals but, until recently, it was not used in humans.
Charles Liu, Ph.D., MD, a clinical neurological surgery professor and the director of the USC Neurorestoration Center, called these new findings a milestone in modern functional brain imaging.
Liu said, “The study subjects underwent hemicraniectomy, or temporary removal of a major portion of the human skull, that allowed us to try this technology without any interference in a fully awake human before skull reconstruction surgery. We are grateful for their participation, as it helped us discover fPACT and its capability in creating functional images of the brain that are much superior in many ways to the 7T fMRI. This could be the trigger that would change the format of neuroimaging forever.”
In the new proof-of-concept study, the photoacoustic CT also produced an accurate 3D mapping of the flow of blood in patients with severe traumatic brain injuries. Furthermore, the scans were stacked up so well the state-of-the-art 7T MR imaging, that it changed the course.
Liu along with colleagues envisioned fPACT that assists with various conditions, such as tumor and vessel imaging to pinpoint brain seizures and function.
The latest gold standard, which is functional MRI, was highly criticized for posing certain limitations and a higher price. Jonathan Russin, MD, the co-investigator, and also associate director of the USC Neurorestoration Center as well as associate professor of the team of neurological surgery, firmly believes that this technique could overcome the shortcomings and beyond.
Russin explained, “fPACT costs much lesser than MRI. It is also potentially portable and patients with dental implants can access this, which eliminates the magnetic/claustrophobic MRI environment. The study is the first of functional brain imaging in humans – and, we firmly believe that it is a critical step towards advancement in this field.”
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