Abstract TP52: Bedside Monitoring Of Resting State Functional Connectivity Networks In Acute Ischemic Stroke Patients Using Diffuse Optical Tomography

Abstract

Background: Recent studies have shown that functional connectivity (FC), an MR method that maps synchronized neural activity throughout the brain during rest, is profoundly altered after stroke and may predict outcome better than structural imaging. However, logistic and care constraints limit its use in acutely ill stroke patients. Here, we evaluate a novel portable and inexpensive neuroimaging modality, Diffuse Optical Tomography (DOT), capable of monitoring FC at the bedside in a cohort of acute ischemic stroke patients. Methods: Brain activity was measured with DOT using a flexible imaging cap that covers much of the frontal, temporal, parietal, and occipital lobes. Resting state brain activity was measured in 7 patients (6 females; mean age 66 years; median NIHSS14, range 3-20; tpa=2) as well as 5 healthy controls. Seed-based maps of FC were generated by calculating the correlation of the time trace of each voxel with the time trace of a given seed. Results: Data from a healthy subject and two stroke cases are shown below. The seed-based FC map for the healthy subject displays typical bilaterally symmetric correlation relative to the seed (black circle). Stroke subject 1 shows a moderate lesion and some disruption in the fc map. Stroke subject 2 displays a large infarct and profound disruption of the FC map. The level of disruption of FC of resting state networks is shown to be correlated with the severity of the stroke. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the feasibility of utilizing DOT at the bedside to monitor resting state networks in patients during acute ischemic stroke.