Abstract

Near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging are non-invasive optical methods, which measure various parameters such as the absorption and scattering coefficient of tissue and the concentration of oxy and deoxyhemoglobin, water and fat. Near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging offer the possibility to non-invasively measure hemodynamic responses of the brain to external stimuli. The ability of near-infrared spectroscopy and imaging to measure all these parameters makes this a promising technique for a broad field of applications. In the context of this thesis, two projects were carried out: i) assessing potential effects of UMTS electromagnetic fields on blood circulation in the human head and ii) monitoring structural and compositional changes of the human cervix in regular pregnancies.