LOS ANGELES: A dipstick inserted into the brain can check its energy levels, just like checking oil levels in a car. The dipstick is already available and can save lives, according to some neuroscientists.
Researchers have published guidelines about how and when to use the technique, known as brain microdialysis, in the hope of encouraging more hospitals to adopt it.
The approach involves inserting a slim, 1-centimetre-long probe directly into the brain. It measures levels of chemicals in the fluid that bathes brain cells, including glucose, the brain’s main energy source.
When used to monitor the brains of people in intensive care after a stroke or head injury, it warns doctors if glucose starts to dip – which can cause brain damage.
The probe can theoretically monitor almost any molecule.