Investigation of the sensitivity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy brain imaging to anatomical variations in 5- to 11-year-old children

Ashley C. Whiteman; Hendrik Santosa; Daniel F. Chen; Susan B. Perlman; Theodore Huppert

doi:10.1117/1.NPh.5.1.011009

18 September 2017 Investigation of the sensitivity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy brain imaging to anatomical variations in 5- to 11-year-old children

Ashley C. Whiteman, Hendrik Santosa, Daniel F. Chen, Susan B. Perlman, Theodore Huppert

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Neurophotonics, Vol. 5, Issue 1, 011009 (September 2017). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.NPh.5.1.011009

Abstract

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a noninvasive brain imaging technique that uses scalp-placed light sensors to measure evoked changes in cerebral blood oxygenation. The portability, low overhead cost, and ability to use this technology under a wide range of experimental environments make fNIRS well-suited for studies involving infants and children. However, since fNIRS does not directly provide anatomical or structural information, these measurements may be sensitive to individual or group level differences associated with variations in head size, depth of the brain from the scalp, or other anatomical factors affecting the penetration of light into the head. This information is generally not available in pediatric populations, which are often the target of study for fNIRS. Anatomical magnetic resonance imaging information from 90 school-age children (5 to 11 years old) was used to quantify the expected effect on fNIRS measures of variations in cerebral and extracerebral structure. Monte Carlo simulations of light transport in tissue were used to estimate differential and partial optical pathlengths at 690, 780, 808, 830, and 850 nm and their variations with age, sex, and head size. This work provides look-up tables of these values and general guidance for future investigations using fNIRS sans anatomical information in this child population.

CC BY: © The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.

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Ashley C. Whiteman, Hendrik Santosa, Daniel F. Chen, Susan B. Perlman, and Theodore Huppert "Investigation of the sensitivity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy brain imaging to anatomical variations in 5- to 11-year-old children," Neurophotonics 5(1), 011009 (18 September 2017). https://doi.org/10.1117/1.NPh.5.1.011009

Received: 5 April 2017; Accepted: 16 August 2017; Published: 18 September 2017

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