Laser scattering by transcranial rat brain illumination

Marcelo V. P. Sousa; Renato Prates; Ilka T. Kato; Caetano P. Sabino; Luis C. Suzuki; Martha S. Ribeiro; Elisabeth M. Yoshimura

doi:10.1117/12.912616

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8 May 2012 Laser scattering by transcranial rat brain illumination

Marcelo V. P. Sousa, Renato Prates, Ilka T. Kato, Caetano P. Sabino, Luis C. Suzuki, Martha S. Ribeiro, Elisabeth M. Yoshimura

Author Affiliations +

Proceedings Volume 8427, Biophotonics: Photonic Solutions for Better Health Care III; 842728 (2012) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.912616
Event: SPIE Photonics Europe, 2012, Brussels, Belgium

Abstract

Due to the great number of applications of Low-Level-Laser-Therapy (LLLT) in Central Nervous System (CNS), the study of light penetration through skull and distribution in the brain becomes extremely important. The aim is to analyze the possibility of precise illumination of deep regions of the rat brain, measure the penetration and distribution of red (λ = 660 nm) and Near Infra-Red (NIR) (λ = 808 nm) diode laser light and compare optical properties of brain structures. The head of the animal (Rattus Novergicus) was epilated and divided by a sagittal cut, 2.3 mm away from mid plane. This section of rat's head was illuminated with red and NIR lasers in points above three anatomical structures: hippocampus, cerebellum and frontal cortex. A high resolution camera, perpendicularly positioned, was used to obtain images of the brain structures. Profiles of scattered intensities in the laser direction were obtained from the images. There is a peak in the scattered light profile corresponding to the skin layer. The bone layer gives rise to a valley in the profile indicating low scattering coefficient, or frontal scattering. Another peak in the region related to the brain is an indication of high scattering coefficient (μs) for this tissue. This work corroborates the use of transcranial LLLT in studies with rats which are subjected to models of CNS diseases. The outcomes of this study point to the possibility of transcranial LLLT in humans for a large number of diseases.

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Marcelo V. P. Sousa, Renato Prates, Ilka T. Kato, Caetano P. Sabino, Luis C. Suzuki, Martha S. Ribeiro, and Elisabeth M. Yoshimura "Laser scattering by transcranial rat brain illumination", Proc. SPIE 8427, Biophotonics: Photonic Solutions for Better Health Care III, 842728 (8 May 2012); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.912616

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