Abstract
Light-tissue interactions allow for a multitude of possibilities to sense; image; and impact the brain at molecular, cellular, and tissue levels. The application of optical techniques to neuronal tissue is the essence of neurophotonics, to which this Special Issue is dedicated. The eleven articles in this Special Issue are representative of the broad scope of this field and of the wide range of optical techniques that it encompasses. In more detail, the articles cover basic neuroscience, neuroanatomy, functional imaging, cerebral hemodynamics, brain development and aging, brain–computer interfaces, and therapeutic treatments. The optical techniques considered include various types of optical microscopy, optical coherence tomography, photoacoustic imaging, diffuse optical spectroscopy and imaging, photobiomodulation, and optogenetics.
Highlights
The term neurophotonics, or optics for the brain, refers to a broad range of applications of optical techniques in neuroscience, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation that are relevant for basic science, medical diagnostics, therapeutic treatment, and brain monitoring
The eleven articles in this Special Issue represent a good portion of the many facets of neurophotonics, including a variety of optical imaging techniques, optical control of specific neural populations [10], and the therapeutic application of red/near-infrared light [11]
Issue include the visualization of large-scale neurodynamics at high spatio-temporal resolution [3]; whole-brain atlases at high resolution [1,2]; development of the infant brain [5]; assessment of mental workload [7]; characterization of cerebral hemodynamics [9]; measurable effects of brain aging [8]; development of innovative brain–computer interfaces (BCI) [6]; a review of diffuse optical imaging in cognitive and social sciences, functional studies, and medicine [4]; photobiomodulation for Alzheimer’s disease [11]; and optogenetics as a therapeutic and rehabilitative tool [10]
Summary
The term neurophotonics, or optics for the brain, refers to a broad range of applications of optical techniques in neuroscience, neuroimaging, and neuromodulation that are relevant for basic science, medical diagnostics, therapeutic treatment, and brain monitoring. These review articles show how diffuse optics for the brain and fNIRS are very active and growing fields of research that permeate a large number of areas, including cerebral diagnostics, monitoring, neural development, functional imaging, mental states assessment, psychology research, hyperscanning, etc. This Special Issue includes articles that describe a variety of fNIRS applications. In this Special Issue, Michael Hamblin reviews the involved chromophores, the photobiology, and mechanisms of PBM in the brain, and focuses on Alzheimer’s disease and dementia, discussing related PBM studies on animal models and human clinical trials [11]
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