Portable Brain Imaging System

Currently, concussion is measured by the symptoms someone experiences, but it is difficult to know what is happening in the brain in any one person. To address this problem, a portable brain imaging system was developed that uses light to detect and monitor damage in the brain from concussion. The device, a Near-Infrared Spectroscope, measures communication in the brain by measuring oxygen levels. When the brain is working well, major regions on each side of the brain are communicating and have similar patterns of blood flow and oxygen levels in blood. Researchers measure the changes in blood oxygen levels as a marker of brain function. Results show that these patterns change after concussion.