Luminescence Thermometry for Brain Activity Monitoring: A Perspective

Abstract

Minimally invasive monitoring of brain activity is essential not only to gain understanding on the working principles of the brain, but also for the development of new diagnostic tools. In this perspective we describe how brain thermometry could be an alternative to conventional methods (e.g., magnetic resonance or nuclear medicine) for the acquisition of thermal images of the brain with enough spatial and temperature resolution to track brain activity in minimally perturbed animals. We focus on the latest advances in transcranial luminescence thermometry introducing a critical discussion on its advantages and shortcomings. We also anticipate the main challenges that the application of luminescent nanoparticles for brain thermometry will face in next years. With this work we aim to promote the development of near infrared luminescence for brain activity monitoring, which could also benefit other research areas dealing with the brain and its illnesses.

Spotlight on Luminescence Thermometry: Basics, Challenges, and Cutting‐Edge Applications

“…To our knowledge, these particular aspects have not been reviewed before, setting this manuscript apart from other reviews that have been published in the past couple of years. [46][47][48][49][50][51][176][177][178][179][180][181][182][183][184][185][186][187][188][189] We start with a revision of the standardization rules, including the practical procedures to establish the calibration curve and the estimation of the errors in the thermometric parameter (Section 2). Next, a comprehensive summary of the theoretical background of ratiometric and time-resolved luminescent thermometers, including Boltzmann-, crossover-type, and energy-transfer-driven examples, is presented (Section 3).…”

Correction Due to Nonthermally Coupled Emission Bands and Its Implications on the Performance of Y2O3:Yb3+ /Er3+ Single-Particle Thermometers

“…Measuring and controlling temperature is crucial in numerous physical-chemical processes. Following the miniaturization of electronic, biological, and medical tools, nanoscale thermometry raises as an emergent research field. − In this direction, lanthanide (Ln 3+ )-doped dielectric nanoparticles are being intensively exploited for temperature mapping with micrometric or submicrometric spatial resolution − due to their distinguished optical properties. The optically active electrons in Ln 3+ ions have a 4 f orbital configuration.…”

Ion-induced bias in Ag2S luminescent nanothermometers

“…1 Although LNThs have been successfully used to obtain remote thermal readings in, e.g., miniaturized electronics, it is in the field of biomedicine where the most impressive advances have been made. [2][3][4][5][6] LNThs have been used for diagnosis of tumors, 7,8 diagnosis of affections of the circulatory and nervous systems, 9,10 monitoring of inflammation events and even in studies of single cells. [11][12][13] Despite the great results and the variety of LNThs reported, luminescence thermometry is being questioned.…”