Overview
- Researchers adapted speckle contrast optical spectroscopy into a simple, noninvasive tool that images scattered laser light with an affordable high‑resolution camera.
- In 20 participants, temporary superficial temporal artery occlusion reduced shallow (scalp) signals while deeper channels remained stable, indicating access to cerebral signals.
- Detector spacing of at least 2.3 centimeters from the light source provided the clearest brain measurements with minimal scalp interference.
- The findings were published October 21, 2025, in APL Bioengineering with support from the National Institutes of Health, the Alfred Mann Foundation and institutional centers.
- The team plans hardware and software refinements and larger clinical studies, and some collaborators already use the technique to help diagnose stroke and traumatic brain injury.