Diffuse correlation spectrometry measures the motion of scatters or red blood cells in tissue by analyzing the intensity of autocorrelation functions.
There are many advantages to this method. The first advantage is that DCS can be used for patients of all ages. This is significant as some modalities such as MRI are difficult to use for certain populations. The second advantage is that DCS instrumentation is easy to assemble and requires only one wavelength that can be chosen. The third advantage is that the theoretical concepts of DCS can be adapted to other blood flow imaging techniques.
However, there are limitations associated with DCS.  First, the reason for why the dynamics of RBCs are so well approximated by a Brownian motion flow model is still not clear. Second, motion artifacts are common and can generate signals that can mislead physiological interpretation. Third, on the instrumentation side, the low SNR levels due to small fibers and tissues are challenging.
Next steps for DCS include using this modality as a bedside monitor of cerebral perfusion. Furthermore, DCS should be used to increase our understanding of early brain development. The ability to monitor neurovascular responses will enable the use of more complex stimulation paradigms.