Springer Advanced Optical Methods for Brain Imaging: 5 (Progress in Optical Science and Photonics, 5)

This book highlights the rapidly developing field of advanced optical methods for structural and functional brain imaging. As is known, the brain is the most poorly understood organ of a living body. It is indeed the most complex structure in the known universe and, thus, mapping of the brain has become one of the most exciting frontlines of contemporary research. Starting from the fundamentals of the brain, neurons and synapses, this book presents a streamlined and focused coverage of the core principles, theoretical and experimental approaches, and state-of-the-art applications of most of the currently used imaging methods in brain research. It presents contributions from international leaders on different photonics-based brain imaging modalities and techniques. Included are comprehensive descriptions of many of the technology driven spectacular advances made over the past few years that have allowed novel insights of the structural and functional details of neurons. The book is targeted at researchers, engineers and scientists who are working in the field of brain imaging, neuroscience and connectomics. Although this book is not intended to serve as a textbook, it will appeal to undergraduate students engaged in the specialization of brain imaging. From the Back Cover This book highlights the rapidly developing field of advanced optical methods for structural and functional brain imaging. As is known, the brain is the most poorly understood organ of a living body. It is indeed the most complex structure in the known universe and, thus, mapping of the brain has become one of the most exciting frontlines of contemporary research. Starting from the fundamentals of the brain, neurons and synapses, this book presents a streamlined and focused coverage of the core principles, theoretical and experimental approaches, and state-of-the-art applications of most of the currently used imaging methods in brain research. It presents contributions from international leaders on different photonics-based brain imaging modalities and techniques. Included are comprehensive descriptions of many of the technology driven spectacular advances made over the past few years that have allowed novel insights of the structural and functional details of neurons. The book is targeted at researchers, engineers and scientists who are working in the field of brain imaging, neuroscience and connectomics. Although this book is not intended to serve as a textbook, it will appeal to undergraduate students engaged in the specialization of brain imaging. About the Author Fu-Jen Kao is a Professor at Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taiwan. At present, he is the Vice President of the Association of Asia Pacific Physical Societies. He was also the former Director, Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University and former President of the Physics Society of ROC, Taiwan. In addition, he has served as the Chief of Research and Planning, Office of Research Affair, Professor of Institute of Electro-Optical Engineering and Professor of the Department of Physics at National Sun Yat-sen University. He is a fellow of Royal Microscopy Society and SPIE, associate editor of IEEE TBME and reviewer of a number of international research journals. The research laboratory led by him has successfully developed many advanced techniques based on multiphoton microscopy with a wide variety of imaging modalities, including two-photon, OBIC, SHG, THG, CARS, stimulated emission, FLIM/FRET, etc. In addition to championing these developments, he has transferred many of the above techniques to a large number of interested research groups both domestically and internationally. He has authored over 90 SCI Journal Papers, edited two books, and presented his research at over 100 international conferences. He received his Bachelor of Science (BA) in Physics from the National Taiwan University (June, 1983), Master