Development of a multimodal optical imaging system for investigation of neurovascular metabolic coupling and evaluation of cerebral blood flow and metabolism

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 19K09455
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Review Section: Basic Section 56010:Neurosurgery-related
• Research Institution: Osaka Metropolitan University (2022); Osaka City University (2019-2021)
• Principal Investigator: Suzuki Takashi 大阪公立大学, 健康科学イノベーションセンター, 特任准教授 (10572224)
• Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha): 大石 直也 京都大学, 医学研究科, 特定准教授 (40526878) ; 上野 智弘 京都大学, 医学研究科, 助教 (10379034)
• Project Period (FY): 2019-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 生体光計測 / 光コヒーレンストモグラフィ / 脳循環代謝 / 神経代謝カップリング / 分光イメージング

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In order to know the complicate relationship between neural activity, cerebral metabolism and cerebral blood flow, we tried to develop a multimodal optical imaging system. However, this concept multimodality optical imaging has not been realized due to unpredictable disturbances such as the coronavirus diseases pandemic and changes experiment environment according to the transfer of a researcher.
In this study, we established a non-contact in vivo angiographic approach and searched vascular networks in the brain of small fish (medaka) using the optical coherence tomography (OCT). Our technique allowed to visualized blood vessels in medaka brain. We were also able to show the three-dimensional distribution of microvessels in the medaka brain. Therefore, this in vivo optical imaging method could be used to perform follow-up studies of cerebrovascular changes in disease model medaka and help to reveal the mechanisms of cerebrovascular disease.

Free Research Field

生体光計測

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究により開発された非侵襲 in vivo 脳血管イメージングは，加齢や疾患の進行に伴う脳血管系の変化について同一生物の組織を経時的に評価することを可能とする．小型魚類のヒト疾患モデルを対象に用いることで，疾患発生機序の解明や，創薬スクリーニングへの応用が期待される．