Neuroprotection plays an important role in surgery and is closely related to perioperative safety and physiological function. Indocyanine green(ICG)as the representative of near infrared fluorescence tracer has been widely used in clinic. Previous studies mainly focus on the tumor imaging and lymphatic tracer function of ICG. This paper reviews the application history of ICG in the field of navigation surgery,reviews the clinical evidence of ICG in intraoperative nerve development and protection,and focuses on summarizing the principle,administration mode and observation window of ICG nerve development. The prospects of clinical application of new tracers derived from ICG and ICG near infrared Ⅱ imaging are prospected.