Correlation between diffuse correlation spectroscopy and transcranial Doppler ultrasound in pediatric sickle cell disease

Biomedical Optics Express 2026 Open access

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Authors: Giovani Martins, Rowan Brothers, Tisha S. Boodooram, Jada Oriahi, Tara M. Urner, L. H. Harris, Mariam M. Akbar, Shasha Bai, Beatrice E. Gee, Clinton H. Joiner, Amy Y. Tang, R. Clark Brown
+1 more Erin M. Buckley
DOI: 10.1364/boe.583451
Cited by: 1
References: 67

Abstract

Sickle cell disease causes alterations in cerebral blood flow (CBF) and a high risk of stroke. Monitoring CBF in these patients may provide valuable information about neurovascular compromise. Diffuse correlation spectroscopy (DCS) is a promising approach for non-invasively estimating an index of regional CBF; however, foundational studies are needed to validate DCS against clinical standards for estimating CBF in this clinical population. Here, we demonstrate that DCS significantly correlates with transcranial Doppler ultrasound-measured blood flow velocity in the anterior cerebral artery in 16 children with sickle cell disease (r = 0.82, p < 0.001). Correction for the influence of hematocrit on BFI did not significantly change this correction.

Fields of Study & Subjects

Hemoglobinopathies and Related Disorders Bone and Joint Diseases Pregnancy and preeclampsia studies

Publication details

Journal / source
Biomedical Optics Express
Publisher
Optica Publishing Group
Volume
17
Issue
2
Pages
872–872
Publication date
7 January 2026
Language
EN