Functional near-infrared spectroscopy as a potential objective evaluation technique in neurocognitive disorders after traumatic brain injury

Abstract

Most patients with neurocognitive disorders after traumatic brain injury (TBI) show executive dysfunction, in which the pre-frontal cortex (PFC) plays an important role. However, less objective evaluation technique could be used to assess the executive dysfunction in these patients. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), which is a non-invasive technique, has been widely used in the study of psychiatric disorders, cognitive dysfunction, etc. The present study aimed to explore whether fNIRS could be a technique to assess the damage degree of executive function in patients with neurocognitive disorders after TBI by using the Stroop and N-back tasks in PFC areas. We enrolled 37 patients with neurocognitive disorders after TBI and 60 healthy controls. A 22-channel fNIRS device was used to record HbO during Stroop, 1-back and 2-back tasks. The results showed that patients made significantly more errors and had longer response times than healthy controls. There were statistically significant differences in HbO level variation in bilateral frontopolar, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus and left middle temporal gyrus during Stroop color word consistency tasks and in left frontopolar during Stroop color word inconsistency tasks. During 2-back tasks, there were also statistically significant differences in HbO level variation in bilateral frontopolar, bilateral inferior frontal gyrus, bilateral dorsolateral pre-frontal cortex. According to brain activation maps, the patients exhibited lower but more widespread activation during the 2-back and Stroop color word consistency tasks. The fNIRS could identify executive dysfunction in patients with neurocognitive disorders after TBI by detecting HbO levels, which suggested that fNIRS could be a potential objective evaluation technique in neurocognitive disorders after TBI.

Paradoxical cognitive and language function recovery by zolpidem in a patient with traumatic brain injury: A case report

“…The fNIRS showcases its advantages in assessing TBI due to its noninvasive nature and potential for monitoring the brain's condition during acute phases. [9] Rossetti et al [10] consider fNIRS to offer superior monitoring of the neurophysiological state in brain injury patients compared to traditional neuroimaging methods. Additionally, Hibino's findings [11] suggest that NIRS can be utilized to evaluate the effectiveness of therapeutic interventions for TBI patients, providing a noninvasive means to monitor neurorehabilitation progress.…”

Non-Invasive Systems Application in Traumatic Brain Injury Rehabilitation

“…The great benefit of using fNIRS for assessing TBI patients is that it can assess a variety of cognitive processes, like attention, thinking, memory and social cognition, but especially its potential to target the performance of the executive function, an essential indicator of the degree in which these patients face cognitive impairment, because research shows that this would imply a greater risk for Alzheimer's disease development [31]. This non-invasive monitoring method consists of placing an optical array composed of infrared light transmitters and sensors that measure the degree of light absorption, covering certain areas of the brain, with the purpose of recording the neuronal activation while the subjects perform given tasks.…”

Possible effect of natural light on emotion recognition and the prefrontal cortex: A scoping review of near-infrared (NIR) spectroscopy

“…In terms of the attention field, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) during the developmental ages is a critical topic in fNIRS studies. 21 Studies regarding traumatic brain injury, 22,23 autism spectrum disorders, 24,25 drowsy driving, 26 and meditation 27 are also recent clinical applications of fNIRS. Studies on consciousness, anesthesia management, 28 disorders of consciousness, 29 and locked-in syndrome 30 have been reported.…”