Functional near-infrared spectroscopy
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), sometimes referred to as NIRS or Optical Topography (OT), is an optical brain monitoring technique which uses near-infrared spectroscopy for the purpose of functional neuroimaging. Using fNIRS, brain activity is measured by using near-infrared light to estimate cortical hemodynamic activity that occurs in response to neural activity. The use of fNIRS has led to advances in different fields such as cognitive neuroscience, clinical applications, developmental science and sport and exercise science. The signal is often compared with the BOLD signal measured by fMRI and is capable of measuring changes both in oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentration, but can only measure from regions near the cortical surface.