A Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study on the Cortical Haemodynamic Responses During the Maastricht Acute Stress Test

Abstract In order to better understand stress responses, neuroimaging studies have investigated the underlying neural correlates of stress. Amongst other brain regions, they highlight the involvement of the prefrontal cortex. The aim of the present study was to explore haemodynamic changes in the prefrontal cortex during the Maastricht Acute Stress Test (MAST) using mobile functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS), examining the stress response in an ecological environment. The MAST includes a challenging mental arithmic task and a physically stressful ice-water task. In a between-subject design, participants either performed the MAST or a non-stress control condition. FNIRS data were recorded throughout the test. Additionally, subjective stress ratings, heart rate and salivary cortisol were evaluated, confirming a successful stress induction. The fNIRS data indicated significantly increased neural activity of brain regions of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) in response to the MAST, compared to the control condition. Furthermore, the mental arithmetic task indicated an increase in neural activity in brain regions of the dlPFC and OFC; whereas the physically stressful hand immersion task indicated a lateral decrease of neural activity in the left dlPFC. The study highlights the potential use of mobile fNIRS in clinical and applied (stress) research.

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Prefrontal activation related to spontaneous creativity with rock music improvisation: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

Scientific Reports ◽

10.1038/s41598-019-52348-6 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 9 (1) ◽

Cited By ~ 3

Author(s):

Atsumichi Tachibana ◽

J. Adam Noah ◽

Yumie Ono ◽

Daisuke Taguchi ◽

Shuichi Ueda

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Rock Music ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Brain Activity ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Left Dlpfc ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

Abstract Understanding how the brain modulates improvisation has been the focus of numerous studies in recent years. Models have suggested regulation of activity between default mode and executive control networks play a role in improvisational execution. Several studies comparing formulaic to improvised sequences support this framework and document increases in activity in medial frontal lobe with decreased activity in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). These patterns can be influenced through training and neural responses may differ between in beginner and expert musicians. Our goal was to test the generalizability of this framework and determine similarity in neural activity in the prefrontal cortex during improvisation. Twenty guitarists performed improvised and formulaic sequences in a blues rock format while brain activity was recorded using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Results indicate similar modulation in DLPFC as seen previously. Specific decreases of activity from left DLPFC in the end compared to beginning or middle of improvised sequences were also found. Despite the range of skills of participants, we also found significant correlation between subjective feelings of improvisational performance and modulation in left DLPFC. Processing of subjective feelings regardless of skill may contribute to neural modulation and may be a factor in understanding neural activity during improvisation.

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Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Neurofeedback Enhances Human Spatial Memory

Frontiers in Human Neuroscience ◽

10.3389/fnhum.2021.681193 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 15 ◽

Author(s):

Xin Hou ◽

Xiang Xiao ◽

Yilong Gong ◽

Zheng Li ◽

Antao Chen ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Spatial Memory ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Neural Activity ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Control Group ◽

Cortical Region ◽

Neural Activation ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy

Spatial memory is an important cognitive function for human daily life and may present dysfunction or decline due to aging or clinical diseases. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy neurofeedback (fNIRS-NFB) is a promising neuromodulation technique with several special advantages that can be used to improve human cognitive functions by manipulating the neural activity of targeted brain regions or networks. In this pilot study, we intended to test the feasibility of fNIRS-NFB to enhance human spatial memory ability. The lateral parietal cortex, an accessible cortical region in the posterior medial hippocampal-cortical network that plays a crucial role in human spatial memory processing, was selected as the potential feedback target. A placebo-controlled fNIRS-NFB experiment was conducted to instruct individuals to regulate the neural activity in this region or an irrelevant control region. Experimental results showed that individuals learned to up-regulate the neural activity in the region of interest successfully. A significant increase in spatial memory performance was found after 8-session neurofeedback training in the experimental group but not in the control group. Furthermore, neurofeedback-induced neural activation increase correlated with spatial memory improvement. In summary, this study preliminarily demonstrated the feasibility of fNIRS-NFB to improve human spatial memory and has important implications for further applications.

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Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) of posterolateral cerebellum and prefrontal cortex for fNIRS-driven cerebellar tES

10.21203/rs.3.rs-725723/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Shubh Mohan Singh ◽

Kavya Narendra Kumar ◽

Pushpinder Walia ◽

Shashi Ranjan ◽

Zeynab Rezaee ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Frontoparietal Network ◽

Delta Band ◽

Transcranial Alternating Current Stimulation ◽

Phase Amplitude

Abstract Abstract—Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) has been shown to facilitate standing balance in stroke survivors where a good general linear model fit was found in the latent space between the mean lobular ctDCS electric field strength with the oxy-hemoglobin concentrations (HbO) from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and log10-transformed electroencephalogram (EEG) bandpower at the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and the sensorimotor cortex in the responders. Recent works have also found that the infra-slow activity (0.01–0.10 Hz) and delta band (0.5–4 Hz) activity propagated in opposite directions between the cerebellum and cerebral cortex. Therefore, in this study, we tested the feasibility of fNIRS of cerebellum and PFC where infra-slow (0.01–0.10 Hz) PFC HbO activity was used to drive (phase amplitude coupling) 4Hz cerebellar transcranial alternating current stimulation (ctACS) at right lobules VI-CrusI/II-VIIb. We found that 2mA ctDCS evoked similar HbO response across cerebellum and PFC brain regions (a=0.01); however, 2mA ctACS evoked HbO across brain regions that was statistically different (a=0.01). Clinical Relevance—We showed the feasibility of fNIRS of cerebellum and PFC, and fNIRS-driven ctACS at 4Hz that may facilitate cognitive function via the frontoparietal network in cerebellar cognitive affective/Schmahmann syndrome.

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Classification of Prefrontal Cortex Activity Based on Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Data upon Olfactory Stimulation

Brain Sciences ◽

10.3390/brainsci11060701 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 11 (6) ◽

pp. 701

Author(s):

Cheng-Hsuan Chen ◽

Kuo-Kai Shyu ◽

Cheng-Kai Lu ◽

Chi-Wen Jao ◽

Po-Lei Lee

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Kernel Functions ◽

Olfactory Stimulation ◽

Support Vector ◽

Hemodynamic Response Function ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Data Set

The sense of smell is one of the most important organs in humans, and olfactory imaging can detect signals in the anterior orbital frontal lobe. This study assessed olfactory stimuli using support vector machines (SVMs) with signals from functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data obtained from the prefrontal cortex. These data included odor stimuli and air state, which triggered the hemodynamic response function (HRF), determined from variations in oxyhemoglobin (oxyHb) and deoxyhemoglobin (deoxyHb) levels; photoplethysmography (PPG) of two wavelengths (raw optical red and near-infrared data); and the ratios of data from two optical datasets. We adopted three SVM kernel functions (i.e., linear, quadratic, and cubic) to analyze signals and compare their performance with the HRF and PPG signals. The results revealed that oxyHb yielded the most efficient single-signal data with a quadratic kernel function, and a combination of HRF and PPG signals yielded the most efficient multi-signal data with the cubic function. Our results revealed superior SVM analysis of HRFs for classifying odor and air status using fNIRS data during olfaction in humans. Furthermore, the olfactory stimulation can be accurately classified by using quadratic and cubic kernel functions in SVM, even for an individual participant data set.

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Social hyperscanning with fNIRS

Gesture ◽

10.1075/gest.20013.bal ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 19 (2-3) ◽

pp. 196-222

Author(s):

Michela Balconi ◽

Angela Bartolo ◽

Giulia Fronda

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Brain Connectivity ◽

Gestural Communication ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal ◽

Posterior Parietal

Abstract The interest of neuroscience has been aimed at the investigation of the neural bases underlying gestural communication. This research explored the intra- and inter-brain connectivity between encoder and decoder. Specifically, adopting a “hyperscanning paradigm” with the functional Near-infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) cerebral connectivity in oxygenated (O2Hb) and deoxygenated (HHb) hemoglobin levels were revealed during the reproduction of affective, social, and informative gestures of different valence. Results showed an increase of intra- and inter-brain connectivity in dorsolateral prefrontal cortex for affective gestures, in superior frontal gyrus for social gestures and in frontal eyes field for informative gestures. Moreover, encoder showed a higher intra-brain connectivity in posterior parietal areas more than decoder. Finally, an increasing of inter-brain connectivity more than intra-brain (ConIndex) was observed in left regions for positive gestures. The present research has explored how the individuals neural tuning mechanisms turn out to be strongly influenced by the nature of specific gestures.

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Emotional modulation of cortical activity during gum-chewing: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

10.21203/rs.3.rs-379633/v1 ◽

2021 ◽

Author(s):

Yoko Hasegawa ◽

Ayumi Sakuramoto ◽

Joe Sakagami ◽

Masako Shiramizu ◽

Tatsuya Suzuki ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Heart Rate ◽

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Muscle Activation ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Cortical Activity ◽

Brain Regions ◽

Emotional States ◽

Gum Chewing

Abstract Evidence indicates that distinct brain regions are associated with various emotional states. Cortical activity may be modulated by emotional states that are triggered upon chewing with various flavors. We examined cortical activity during chewing with different tastes/odors using multi-channel near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). Thirty-six right-handed subjects participated in a crossover-design trial. Subjects chewed flavorful (palatable) or less flavorful (unpalatable) gum for 5 minutes. During gum-chewing these subjects experienced positive and negative emotions, respectively. Subjects rated the taste/odor/deliciousness of each gum with a visual analog scale. Bilateral hemodynamic responses in the frontal to parietal lobes, bilateral masseter muscle activation, and heart rate were measured during gum-chewing. Data changes during gum-chewing were evaluated. Subjects’ ratings of the tastes and odors of each gum differed (p<0.001). Hemodynamic response changes were significantly elevated in the bilateral primary sensorimotor cortex during gum-chewing, in comparison to resting. The hemodynamic responses of wide brain regions showed little difference between the gum conditions; however, a difference was detected in the corresponding left frontopolar/dorsolateral prefrontal cortex. Muscle activation and heart rate were not significantly different between the gum conditions. Differential processing in the left prefrontal cortex might be responsible for emotional states caused by palatable and unpalatable foods.

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What Does Sleeping Brain Tell About Stress? A Pilot Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Study Into Stress-Related Cortical Hemodynamic Features During Sleep

Frontiers in Computer Science ◽

10.3389/fcomp.2021.774949 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 3 ◽

Author(s):

Zilu Liang

Keyword(s):

Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Pilot Study ◽

Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex ◽

Near Infrared ◽

Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy ◽

Stress Indicators ◽

Measured Stress ◽

Dorsolateral Prefrontal

People with mental stress often experience disturbed sleep, suggesting stress-related abnormalities in brain activity during sleep. However, no study has looked at the physiological oscillations in brain hemodynamics during sleep in relation to stress. In this pilot study, we aimed to explore the relationships between bedtime stress and the hemodynamics in the prefrontal cortex during the first sleep cycle. We tracked the stress biomarkers, salivary cortisol, and secretory immunoglobulin A (sIgA) on a daily basis and utilized the days of lower levels of measured stress as natural controls to the days of higher levels of measured stress. Cortical hemodynamics was measured using a cutting-edge wearable functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. Time-domain, frequency-domain features as well as nonlinear features were derived from the cleaned hemodynamic signals. We proposed an original ensemble algorithm to generate an average importance score for each feature based on the assessment of six statistical and machine learning techniques. With all channels counted in, the top five most referred feature types are Hurst exponent, mean, the ratio of the major/minor axis standard deviation of the Poincaré plot of the signal, statistical complexity, and crest factor. The left rostral prefrontal cortex (RLPFC) was the most relevant sub-region. Significantly strong correlations were found between the hemodynamic features derived at this sub-region and all three stress indicators. The dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) is also a relevant cortical area. The areas of mid-DLPFC and caudal-DLPFC both demonstrated significant and moderate association to all three stress indicators. No relevance was found in the ventrolateral prefrontal cortex. The preliminary results shed light on the possible role of the RLPCF, especially the left RLPCF, in processing stress during sleep. In addition, our findings echoed the previous stress studies conducted during wake time and provides supplementary evidence on the relevance of the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex in stress responses during sleep. This pilot study serves as a proof-of-concept for a new research paradigm to stress research and identified exciting opportunities for future studies.

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