Near-infrared Spectropscopy
Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that uses light to measure blood flow changes in the brain while the wearer performs a task. The NIRS system is portable and easily used with children and adults. It can be used to estimate brain activity in real-time.
Light travels through oxygenated hemoglobin, blood from the heart, and deoxygenated hemoglobin, blood back to the lungs, differently, therefore the researcher is able to detect the difference and calculate the amount of oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin in different areas of the brain.
The NIRS cap is similar to a swim cap with sources and detectors. The cap contains 128 spots for the sources and detectors, which allow the researcher to measure from any area of the brain.
This information helps us understand what areas of the brain are active during different tasks.
For more information, please see our post in Lab Updates.