Laser Speckle Contrast Imaging in Neurosurgery: a Systematic Review

BACKGROUND: Intraoperative study of blood flow in the brain vessels is among the most critical topics of modern neurosurgery. One of the promising methods for intraoperative monitoring of blood flow is laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI). This systematic review aims to analyze the experience of using intraoperative LSCI in neurosurgical interventions.

METHODS: The literature search was carried out in the PubMed and Web of Science databases using the keywords "Laser-Speckle," "Laser Speckle," "Laser speckle contrast imaging," and "LSCI." We allowed the search to include the following criteria: 1) publication in the English language, 2) full access to the article, 3) information about the method of treatment, and 4) the results presented for at least one patient.

RESULTS: The initial search resulted in the detection of 508 publications, of which 476 were eliminated during the initial assessment of titles and abstracts. Two more articles were excluded due to the lack of data in the English language. Twenty articles were found to be focused on nonhuman studies and therefore were excluded. In three more studies treatment of non-neurosurgical patients was reported. The final analysis included 8 articles with 102 patients overall.

CONCLUSIONS: LSCI is a promising intraoperative method for intraoperative cerebral blood flow assessing. This method offers several advantages over other modalities. The experience of use is limited to a small number of case series. Further investigation of the method and its implementation in clinical practice is needed.