Non-invasive transcranial electrical brain stimulation guided by functional near-infrared spectroscopy for targeted neuromodulation: a review

Abstract

One of the primary goals in cognitive neuroscience is to understand the neural mechanisms on which cognition is based. Researchers are trying to find how cognitive mechanisms are related to oscillations generated due to brain activity. The research focused on this topic has been considerably aided by developing non-invasive brain stimulation techniques. The dynamics of brain networks and the resultant behavior can be affected by non-invasive brain stimulation techniques, which make their use a focus of interest in many experiments and clinical fields. One essential non-invasive brain stimulation technique is transcranial electrical stimulation (tES), subdivided into transcranial direct and alternating current stimulation. tES has recently become more well-known because of the effective results achieved in treating chronic conditions. In addition, there has been exceptional progress in the interpretation and feasibility of tES techniques. Summarizing the beneficial effects of tES, this article provides an updated depiction of what has been accomplished to date, brief history, and the open questions that need to be addressed in the future. An essential issue in the field of tES is stimulation duration. This review briefly covers the stimulation durations that have been utilized in the field while monitoring the brain using functional-near infrared spectroscopy-based brain imaging.

EEG biomarkers analysis in different cognitive impairment after stroke: an exploration study

“…EEG is a widely used non-invasive method for cognitive neurological research due to its high temporal resolution, ease of use, and low cost. A study that developed quantitative EEG (QEEG) to characterize EEG waves in post-stroke patients at risk of developing vascular dementia found that compared to normal subjects, patients with post-stroke with mild cognitive impairment had higher delta relative power, while alpha and beta relative power was lower in patients with post-stroke with mild cognitive impairment compared to normal subjects ( 20 , 21 ). The study also examined the relationship between brain regions.…”

A new perspective for evaluating the efficacy of tACS and tDCS in improving executive functions: A combined tES and fNIRS study

“…Transcranial electrical stimulation (tES) is a safe, noninvasive technique that alters neuronal activity by delivering a low‐intensity current to a target brain area; this technique has been shown to improve cognitive performance (Lin et al, 2021 ; Yavari et al, 2018 ). Transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) and transcranial alternating current stimulation (tACS) are two widely used noninvasive stimulation paradigms (Hong et al, 2022 ). tDCS mainly changes neuronal membrane potentials by delivering a stable direct current, while tACS uses an external oscillation source to induce neuronal oscillations, thereby promoting cognitive improvement through nerve entrainment (Dedoncker et al, 2016 ; McLaughlin et al, 2022 ).…”

fNIRS-based brain functional response to robot-assisted training for upper-limb in stroke patients with hemiplegia

“…Based on the principle of optical imaging, fNIRS can be utilized in combination with electromagnetic neuromodulation technologies (such as transcranial electrical stimulation) to monitor the cortical response and provide real-time feedback for these interventions ( Yang et al, 2021 ). The application of fNIRS can not only get insight into the mechanism underlying neuromodulation in neurorehabilitation, but also provide targeted neuromodulation based on closed-loop regulation to achieve personalized therapy for brain disorders ( Hong et al, 2022 ). Additionally, a comprehensive review described fNIRS-related applications for stroke and suggested fNIRS as a promising technology for detecting brain function responses during specific rehabilitation interventions ( Saitou et al, 2000 ).…”