Three-dimensional optical tomography of hemodynamics in the human head

We report on the first three-dimensional, volumetric, tomographic localization of vascular reactivity in the brain. To this end we developed a model-based iterative image reconstruction scheme that employs adjoint differentiation methods to minimize the difference between measured and predicted data. The necessary human-head geometry and optode locations were determined with a photogrammetric method. To illustrate the performance of the technique, the three-dimensional distribution of changes in the concentration of oxyhemoglobin, deoxyhemoglobin, and total hemoglobin during a Valsalva maneuver were visualized. The observed results are consistent with previously reported effects concerning optical responses to hemodynamic perturbations. (C) 2001 Optical Society of America.