Depth-resolved microscopy of cortical hemodynamics with optical coherence tomography

Abstract

We describe depth-resolved microscopy of cortical hemodynamics with high-speed spectral/Fourier domain optical coherence tomography (OCT). Stimulus-evoked changes in blood vessel diameter, flow, and total hemoglobin were measured in the rat somatosensory cortex. The results show OCT measurements of hemodynamic changes during functional activation and represent an important step toward understanding functional hyperemia at the microscopic level.