MIAMI: The new tool uses a non-invasive, light-based imaging technology to see inside the brain, and can be used to study how diseases like Alzheimer’s, dementia, and brain tumors change brain tissue.
The researchers used a new experimental approach called optical coherence tomography (OCT) to obtain subsurface images of biological tissue at about the same resolution as a low-power microscope. With OCT, researchers will be able to examine different acute and chronic vascular changes in the deep brain. Using a swept-source OCT to scan deeper and faster and a vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) for a more efficient scan, the researchers were able to get better cross-section images of layers of tissue without invasive surgery or ionizing radiation. This allowed them to monitor changes in the brains of mice as Alzheimer’s and dementia developed — they were even able to study how the brain aged.