Elsevier

Molecules and Cells

Volume 40, Issue 8, August 2017, Pages 523-532
Molecules and Cells

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Application of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to the Study of Brain Function in Humans and Animal Models

https://doi.org/10.14348/molcells.2017.0153Get rights and content
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Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive optical imaging technique that indirectly assesses neuronal activity by measuring changes in oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in tissues using near-infrared light. fNIRS has been used not only to investigate cortical activity in healthy human subjects and animals but also to reveal abnormalities in brain function in patients suffering from neurological and psychiatric disorders and in animals that exhibit disease conditions. Because of its safety, quietness, resistance to motion artifacts, and portability, fNIRS has become a tool to complement conventional imaging techniques in measuring hemodynamic responses while a subject performs diverse cognitive and behavioral tasks in test settings that are more ecologically relevant and involve social interaction. In this review, we introduce the basic principles of fNIRS and discuss the application of this technique in human and animal studies.

Keywords:

brain recording
functional neuroimaging
fNIRS
functional near-infrared spectroscopy
neurovascular coupling

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