Algorithms for Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Cerebral Oximetry and Near-Infrared Imaging

Dear Colleagues,

The open access journal Algorithms is planning a Special Issue entitled “Algorithms for Functional
Near-Infrared Spectroscopy, Cerebral Oximetry and Near-Infrared Imaging”.

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is increasingly being used for optical brain imaging (functional near-infrared spectroscopy, fNIRS), monitoring the absolute oxygenation of human brain tissue (cerebral oximetry, CO), and imaging of tissue perfusion and oxygenation (near-infrared imaging, NIRI).

In the last couple of years, several novel signal processing algorithms and methods for fNIRS, CO and NIRI have been developed. This trend is set to continue as the quality (e.g., accuracy, precision, robustness against artifacts, user-friendliness) of measurement techniques requires further improvement. Impulses will also come from the need to apply adequate signal-processing algorithms and methods to the recorded signals in order to extract and quantify physiologically relevant information. Advances in signal processing and data analysis of fNIRS, CO and NIRI signals will help to increase the usability of these techniques in basic research (human neuroscience, human physiology) as well as medical applications (e.g., patient monitoring, diagnosis and treatment control).

The Special Issue is intended as a platform for exchanging and proposing new algorithms, methods and ideas related to signal processing and data analysis of fNIRS, CO and NIRI measurements. We look forward to a great deal of interesting input from the research community.

The following is a (non-exhaustive) list of topics of interest but we also welcome new ideas:  

• Detection of evoked and/or resting-state brain activity
• Decomposition of the signals into physiological meaningful components (e.g., components from the intracerebral and extracerebral tissue, components related to brain activity or systemic physiology, etc.)
• Removal of confounding component (scalp blood flow, changes in systemic physiology) from the measured signals
• New NIRS algorithms to determine absolute chromophore concentrations or relative changes in tissue
• New parameters that quantify changes in hemodynamics and oxygenation
• Measurement artifacts detection and removal
• New techniques and signal processing pipelines for fNIRS, OX and NIRI applications

Dr. Felix Scholkmann
Dr. Alexander Caicedo
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

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