Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy

What is fNIRS?

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting changes in blood oxygenation. fNIRS is based on the principle that when a brain region is activated, blood flow to that region increases, leading to an increase in oxygenated hemoglobin and a decrease in deoxygenated hemoglobin. fNIRS uses near-infrared light to measure these changes in blood oxygenation, allowing researchers to study brain function in real-time.

How do we use fNIRS in our work?

We use fnirs to examine brain activity during various cognitive tasks, such as working memory, attention, and decision-making. By measuring changes in blood oxygenation, we can identify brain regions that are involved in these tasks and study how they interact with each other. fNIRS is particularly well-suited for studying brain function over time, and can be used to track changes in brain activity during the course of a task or intervention.

Our system

We currently use an FNIR400 from Biopac Systems Inc. which is a continuous wave system. We use a 16-channel headband to measure changes in blood oxygenation in the prefrontal cortex, a brain region that is involved in a wide range of cognitive functions.

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