Abstract. An increasing number of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies utilize a general linear model (GLM) approach, which serves as a standard statistical method for functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) data analysis. While fMRI solely measures the blood oxygen level dependent (BOLD) signal, fNIRS measures the changes of oxy-hemoglobin (oxy-Hb) and deoxy-hemoglobin (deoxy-Hb) signals at a temporal resolution severalfold higher. This suggests the necessity of adjusting the temporal parameters of a GLM for fNIRS signals. Thus, we devised a GLM-based method utilizing an adaptive hemodynamic response function (HRF). We sought the optimum temporal parameters to best explain the observed time series data during verbal fluency and naming tasks. The peak delay of the HRF was systematically changed to achieve the best-fit model for the observed oxy-and deoxy-Hb time series data. The optimized peak delay showed different values for each Hb signal and task. When the optimized peak delays were adopted, the deoxy-Hb data yielded comparable activations with similar statistical power and spatial patterns to oxy-Hb data. The adaptive HRF method could suitably explain the behaviors of both Hb parameters during tasks with the different cognitive loads during a time course, and thus would serve as an objective method to fully utilize the temporal structures of all fNIRS data.
For objective neurophysiological evaluation of the function of the trigeminal system, magnetoencephalography- based TSEF (trigeminal somatosensory-evoked field) assessment would be valuable in providing spatial and temporal profiles of cortical responses. However, this necessitates knowledge of how TSEF varies with trigeminal nerve dysfunctions. We introduced a conduction block of the trigeminal nerve using local anesthesia (lidocaine) to temporally mimic nerve dysfunctions, and monitored TSEF changes. Following an electrical stimulation of the lower lip, a magnetic response with peak latency of approximately 20 ms was identified in all participants. Dipole for the peak was estimated on the post-central gyrus in the participant's own magnetic resonance image. After normalization to Montreal Neurological Institute (MNI) space and inter-participant data integration, the summary equivalent current dipole localization among participants remained in the post-central gyrus, suggesting validity of the use of MNI space. Partial anesthesia of the lower lip led to a loss of the waveform characteristics of TSEF for electrical stimulation to the trigeminal nerve. We verified that the 20-ms latency cortical response of TSEF components localized at the primary sensory cortex can serve as a robust neurofunctional marker of experimental trigeminal nerve dysfunction.
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