Optical imaging of brain function and metabolism

Optical techniques already have an important place in experimental in vivo studies of the brain. New techniques to study micro circulatory and metabolic events in vivo will play an important role in basic stroke research. Functional studies are rapidly improving our knowledge of the functional architecture of the visual cortex. For studies of the human brain the confluence of interest and activity in MRI, PET, ballistic and diffusive wave spectroscopy opens new fields of anatomical, physiological, biochemical and functional studies. Similar to the introduction of the morphologically oriented computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, these new approaches may have a profound impact on clinical and experimental neurology in the future