Measurement of Interhemispheric Correlation Coefficient in Rodent Model of Middle Cerebral Artery Occlusion Using Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive brain imaging technique that measures hemodynamics by determining the optical properties of tissue. Clinical potential of NIRS for monitoring cerebral hemodynamics in cerebrovascular diseases, such as stroke, has been studied. However, inconsistencies in measurements among studies, which are believed to be partly due to anatomical variance and diversity in disease presentation, limit the clinical feasibility of NIRS for stroke monitoring. In the present study, bihemispheric frequency-domain NIRS measurements on middle cerebral artery occlusion rats were performed. The discrepancy in interhemispheric synchronicity in hemodynamic oscillation appeared during the early reperfusion stage is related to the size of infarct that developed three days later. These NIRS parameters may have the potential to be early prognostic biomarkers for long-term stroke monitoring in the future translational investigation.