Comparing analytic approaches to infant functional near-infrared spectroscopy data

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is increasingly used to study brain function in infants, but the development and standardization of analysis techniques for use with infant NIRS data has not paced other technical advances. Here we quantify and compare the effects of different methods of analysis of infant NIRS data. Specifically, we analyzed two independent NIRS datasets involving 6-9-month-old infants contrasting results from more traditional, fixed array analyses with several functional channel of interest (fCOI) analysis approaches. In addition, we tested the effects of varying the number and anatomical location of potential data channels to be included in the fCOI definition. Over two studies we find that fCOI approaches are more sensitive than fixed array analyses, especially when channels of interests were defined within-subjects. Applying anatomical restriction and/or including multiple channels in the fCOI definition does not decrease and in some cases increases sensitivity of fCOI methods. Based on these results, we recommend that researchers consider employing fCOI approaches to the anlaysis of infant NIRS data and provide some guidelines for choosing between particular fCOI approaches and settings for the study of infant brain function and development.

Name thesis:degree_name

M.S.

Level thesis:degree_level

Thesis

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Psychology

Grantor

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Year dc:date

2022

Author dc:creator

• Liu, Yiyu

Contributors dc:contributor

• Hyde, Daniel C.

• fCOI
• fixed-array analysis
• infant fNIRs
• cognition
• temporal lobe

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright 2022 Yiyu Liu

Language dc:language

en, eng

Handle dc:identifier

https://hdl.handle.net/2142/115629

OAI record oai:identifier

https://www.ideals.illinois.edu/oai-pmh?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=etdms&identifier=oai%3Awww.ideals.illinois.edu%3A2142%2F115629