The effect of motor activity on the left fronto-central region of the human brain was analyzed spatially and temporally by using noninvasive near-infrared light (NIR) topography. The changes in oxygenation states caused by motor activity were measured using intensity-modulated NIR spectroscopy at ten measurement positions on the head surface. The subject randomly performed unilateral finger opposition for 30 s as motor stimulation. When the subject performed contralateral (right) finger movement, significant increases in both oxygenated hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) and total hemoglobin (total-Hb) and decreases in deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) were observed in a particular area. By mapping the static topograms of the changes of each Hb and comparing them with an anatomical image of MRI, it was found that the particular area was located on the motor cortex along the central sulcus. By mapping the dynamic topograms of the changes of total-Hb, which reflect the cerebral blood volume, and analyzing the spatiotemporal hemodynamic changes associated with the brain activity, it was found that the regional change in cerebral blood volume in the primary motor area overlaps the global change around the motor cortex. These results demonstrate that NIR topography can be used to effectively observe the human brain activity.

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Near-infrared spectroscopy is discussed from the viewpoint of human higher-order brain function analysis. Pioneering work in this field is reviewed; then we describe our concept of noninvasive trans-cranial dynamic optical topography and its instrumentation. Also, the validity of its functional images is assessed from both physical and physiological viewpoints. After confirming the validity of this method, we have applied it to a wide variety of fields such as clinical medicine, cognitive science, and linguistics in collaboration with researchers at several other institutes. Further application possibilities and the future of trans-cranial dynamic optical topography are also discussed. © 1999 Society of Photo-Optical Instrumentation Engineers.

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Near infrared spectroscopy is an increasingly important tool for the investigation of human brain function, however, to date there have been few systematic evaluations of accompanying thermal effects due to absorption. We have measured the spatial distribution of temperature changes during near infrared irradiation (789 nm) as a function of laser power, in both excised tissue (chicken meat and skin) and in the forearm of an awake human volunteer. Light was applied using a 1 mm optical fiber which is characteristic of the topographic system. The temperature of excised chicken tissue increased linearly with power level as 0.097 and 0.042 degrees C/mW at depths of 0 and 1 mm, respectively. Human forearm studies yielded temperature changes of 0.101, 0.038, and 0.030 degrees C/mW at depths of 0.5, 1.0, and 1.5 mm, respectively. Due to direct irradiation of the thermocouple all measurements represent the maximum temperature increase from the laser. In all cases the estimated heating effects from continuous wave optical topography systems were small and well below levels which would endanger tissue cells. The close similarity between ex vivo and in vivo measurements suggests negligible contributions from blood flow in the skin which was further supported by measurements during cuff ischemia. Heating effects decreased sharply with both depth and lateral position; thus, for optode spacings greater than a few millimeters, fibers can be treated independently. Finite element analysis confirms that the experimental results are consistent with a simple heat conduction model.