Recent advances of optical imaging in animal stroke model

Stroke is a major health concern and an intensive research subject due that it is the major cause of death and the leading cause of disability worldwide. The past three decades of clinical disappointments in treating stroke must compel us to rethink our strategy. New effective protocol for stroke could greatly benefit from the advances in optical imaging technologies. This review focuses on the latest advance of applications of three optical imaging techniques in animal model of stroke, such as photoacoustic (PA) imaging, laser speckle contrast imaging (LSCI) and two-photon microscopy (TPM). The potential roles of those techniques in the future of stroke management are also discussed. © 2013 Higher Education Press and Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.