A Novel Exploratory Graph-Based Analytical Tool for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Naturalistic Experiments: An Illustrative Application in Typically Developing Children

Author(s)

Sato, Joao Ricardo ; Pereira, Tiago Duarte ; Martins, Clarice Maria de Lucena ; Bezerra, Thayna Alves ; Queiroz, Maria Eduarda ; Costa, Larissa Pereira ; Andrade, Suellen Marinho ; Biazoli, Claudinei Eduardo

• Document type: Journal article
• Source: BRAIN SCIENCES; v. 13, n. 6, p. 9-pg., 2023-06-01.

Abstract

Naturalistic paradigms are being increasingly applied to investigate human brain function. Compared with resting-state and task-based paradigms in neuroimaging, naturalistic stimuli and situations can be potentially more readily translated to daily-life applications. Among neuroimaging modalities, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is particularly suitable for naturalistic investigations and applications. However, specific and tailored statistical analysis to interrogate brain function using naturalistic fNIRS is warranted. Here, we describe an exploratory graph-centrality-based approach to investigating participants' spatiotemporal similarities from the fNIRS signal. We illustrate the usefulness of our approach in a sample of typically developing children (10 males and 9 females; mean age of 5.2 years old; sd = 0.78) while they watch the Inscapes movie designed for neuroimaging acquisition. A node in the left dorsal prefrontal cortex presented similar responses across children, and those fNIRS responses were in line with scene transitions in the movie stimulus. Our results suggest the feasibility of applying centrality graph-based measures to investigate brain function in naturalistic fNIRS during development. (AU)

• FAPESP's process: 18/04654-9 - Time series, wavelets and high dimensional data
• Grantee: Pedro Alberto Morettin
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 19/27250-3 - Neurocircuit-based investigation of obsessive-compulsive disorder: a contribution to the study of disease mechanisms and the development of new treatments
• Grantee: Roseli Gedanke Shavitt
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 18/21934-5 - Network statistics: theory, methods, and applications
• Grantee: André Fujita
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants
• FAPESP's process: 21/05332-8 - Brazilian high-risk cohort for psychiatric disorders: 10 years follow-up
• Grantee: Rodrigo Affonseca Bressan
• Support Opportunities: Research Projects - Thematic Grants