  The intricate nature of the brain necessitates the application of advanced
probing techniques to comprehensively study and understand its working
mechanisms. Neurophotonics offers minimally invasive methods to probe the brain
using optics at cellular and even molecular levels. However, multiple
challenges persist, especially concerning imaging depth, field of view, speed,
and biocompatibility. A major hindrance to solving these challenges in optics
is the scattering nature of the brain. This perspective highlights the
potential of complex media optics, a specialized area of study focused on light
propagation in materials with intricate heterogeneous optical properties, in
advancing and improving neuronal readouts for structural imaging and optical
recordings of neuronal activity. Key strategies include wavefront shaping
techniques and computational imaging and sensing techniques that exploit
scattering properties for enhanced performance. We discuss the potential merger
of the two fields as well as potential challenges and perspectives toward
longer term in vivo applications.
