Cautions for carrying out the fNIRS measurement

Abstract

With the increasing distribution of its commercial systems, the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been considered as a functional neuroimaging technique of applicable for non-restraining subjects. Most users, however, have not been well informed the relatively important methodological issues as the follows: 1) The signal fluctuation through the scalp blood flow change evoked by the subject's motion, posture change, and also task execution. 2) Extremely low sensitivity for brain tissues other than the most superficial cerebral cortex. 3) More strong relation of BOLD signal in fMRI with the change in deoxygenated hemoglobin than that in oxygenated hemoglobin. This talk aims to empirically show and call attention to such inconvenient points in the practical fNIRS measurements, and to introduce some our technical developments for overcoming them.