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Mai G, Jiang Z, Wang X, Tachtsidis I, Howell P. Neuroplasticity of Speech-in-Noise Processing in Older Adults Assessed by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). Brain Topogr 2024; 37:1139-1157. [PMID: 39042322 PMCID: PMC11408581 DOI: 10.1007/s10548-024-01070-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2023] [Accepted: 07/13/2024] [Indexed: 07/24/2024]
Abstract
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive optical neuroimaging technique that is portable and acoustically silent, has become a promising tool for evaluating auditory brain functions in hearing-vulnerable individuals. This study, for the first time, used fNIRS to evaluate neuroplasticity of speech-in-noise processing in older adults. Ten older adults, most of whom had moderate-to-mild hearing loss, participated in a 4-week speech-in-noise training. Their speech-in-noise performances and fNIRS brain responses to speech (auditory sentences in noise), non-speech (spectrally-rotated speech in noise) and visual (flashing chequerboards) stimuli were evaluated pre- (T0) and post-training (immediately after training, T1; and after a 4-week retention, T2). Behaviourally, speech-in-noise performances were improved after retention (T2 vs. T0) but not immediately after training (T1 vs. T0). Neurally, we intriguingly found brain responses to speech vs. non-speech decreased significantly in the left auditory cortex after retention (T2 vs. T0 and T2 vs. T1) for which we interpret as suppressed processing of background noise during speech listening alongside the significant behavioural improvements. Meanwhile, functional connectivity within and between multiple regions of temporal, parietal and frontal lobes was significantly enhanced in the speech condition after retention (T2 vs. T0). We also found neural changes before the emergence of significant behavioural improvements. Compared to pre-training, responses to speech vs. non-speech in the left frontal/prefrontal cortex were decreased significantly both immediately after training (T1 vs. T0) and retention (T2 vs. T0), reflecting possible alleviation of listening efforts. Finally, connectivity was significantly decreased between auditory and higher-level non-auditory (parietal and frontal) cortices in response to visual stimuli immediately after training (T1 vs. T0), indicating decreased cross-modal takeover of speech-related regions during visual processing. The results thus showed that neuroplasticity can be observed not only at the same time with, but also before, behavioural changes in speech-in-noise perception. To our knowledge, this is the first fNIRS study to evaluate speech-based auditory neuroplasticity in older adults. It thus provides important implications for current research by illustrating the promises of detecting neuroplasticity using fNIRS in hearing-vulnerable individuals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Guangting Mai
- National Institute for Health and Care Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, UK.
- Academic Unit of Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK.
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK.
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK.
| | - Zhizhao Jiang
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
- Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
| | - Xinran Wang
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Ilias Tachtsidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, UK
| | - Peter Howell
- Division of Psychology and Language Sciences, University College London, London, UK
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Perello-March J, Burns CG, Woodman R, Birrell S, Elliott MT. How Do Drivers Perceive Risks During Automated Driving Scenarios? An fNIRS Neuroimaging Study. HUMAN FACTORS 2024; 66:2244-2263. [PMID: 37357740 PMCID: PMC11344369 DOI: 10.1177/00187208231185705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/15/2022] [Accepted: 06/15/2023] [Indexed: 06/27/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Using brain haemodynamic responses to measure perceived risk from traffic complexity during automated driving. BACKGROUND Although well-established during manual driving, the effects of driver risk perception during automated driving remain unknown. The use of fNIRS in this paper for assessing drivers' states posits it could become a novel method for measuring risk perception. METHODS Twenty-three volunteers participated in an empirical driving simulator experiment with automated driving capability. Driving conditions involved suburban and urban scenarios with varying levels of traffic complexity, culminating in an unexpected hazardous event. Perceived risk was measured via fNIRS within the prefrontal cortical haemoglobin oxygenation and from self-reports. RESULTS Prefrontal cortical haemoglobin oxygenation levels significantly increased, following self-reported perceived risk and traffic complexity, particularly during the hazardous scenario. CONCLUSION This paper has demonstrated that fNIRS is a valuable research tool for measuring variations in perceived risk from traffic complexity during highly automated driving. Even though the responsibility over the driving task is delegated to the automated system and dispositional trust is high, drivers perceive moderate risk when traffic complexity builds up gradually, reflected in a corresponding significant increase in blood oxygenation levels, with both subjective (self-reports) and objective (fNIRS) increasing further during the hazardous scenario. APPLICATION Little is known regarding the effects of drivers' risk perception with automated driving. Building upon our experimental findings, future work can use fNIRS to investigate the mental processes for risk assessment and the effects of perceived risk on driving behaviours to promote the safe adoption of automated driving technology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jaume Perello-March
- National Transport Design Centre, Centre for Future Transport and Cities, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
| | - Christopher G Burns
- School of Aerospace, Transport and Manufacturing (SATM), Cranfield University, Cranfield, UK
| | | | - Stewart Birrell
- National Transport Design Centre, Centre for Future Transport and Cities, Coventry University, Coventry, UK
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Dubois J, Field RM, Jawhar S, Koch EM, Aghajan ZM, Miller N, Perdue KL, Taylor M. Reliability of brain metrics derived from a Time-Domain Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy System. Sci Rep 2024; 14:17500. [PMID: 39080458 PMCID: PMC11289386 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-68555-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/20/2024] [Accepted: 07/24/2024] [Indexed: 08/02/2024] Open
Abstract
With the growing interest in establishing brain-based biomarkers for precision medicine, there is a need for noninvasive, scalable neuroimaging devices that yield valid and reliable metrics. Kernel's second-generation Flow2 Time-Domain Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (TD-fNIRS) system meets the requirements of noninvasive and scalable neuroimaging, and uses a validated modality to measure brain function. In this work, we investigate the test-retest reliability (TRR) of a set of metrics derived from the Flow2 recordings. We adopted a repeated-measures design with 49 healthy participants, and quantified TRR over multiple time points and different headsets-in different experimental conditions including a resting state, a sensory, and a cognitive task. Results demonstrated high reliability in resting state features including hemoglobin concentrations, head tissue light attenuation, amplitude of low frequency fluctuations, and functional connectivity. Additionally, passive auditory and Go/No-Go inhibitory control tasks each exhibited similar activation patterns across days. Notably, areas with the highest reliability were in auditory regions during the auditory task, and right prefrontal regions during the Go/No-Go task, consistent with prior literature. This study underscores the reliability of Flow2-derived metrics, supporting its potential to actualize the vision of using brain-based biomarkers for diagnosis, treatment selection and treatment monitoring of neuropsychiatric and neurocognitive disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Julien Dubois
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
| | - Ryan M Field
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
| | - Sami Jawhar
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
| | - Erin M Koch
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
| | | | - Naomi Miller
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
| | | | - Moriah Taylor
- Kernel, 10361 Jefferson Blvd, Culver City, CA, 90232, USA
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Yang L, Wang S, Chen Y, Liang Y, Chen T, Wang Y, Fu X, Wang S. Effects of Age on the Auditory Cortex During Speech Perception in Noise: Evidence From Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Ear Hear 2024; 45:742-752. [PMID: 38268081 PMCID: PMC11008455 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001460] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/08/2022] [Accepted: 11/23/2023] [Indexed: 01/26/2024]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Age-related speech perception difficulties may be related to a decline in central auditory processing abilities, particularly in noisy or challenging environments. However, how the activation patterns related to speech stimulation in different noise situations change with normal aging has yet to be elucidated. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effects of noisy environments and aging on patterns of auditory cortical activation. DESIGN We analyzed the functional near-infrared spectroscopy signals of 20 young adults, 21 middle-aged adults, and 21 elderly adults, and evaluated their cortical response patterns to speech stimuli under five different signal to noise ratios (SNRs). In addition, we analyzed the behavior score, activation intensity, oxyhemoglobin variability, and dominant hemisphere, to investigate the effects of aging and noisy environments on auditory cortical activation. RESULTS Activation intensity and oxyhemoglobin variability both showed a decreasing trend with aging at an SNR of 0 dB; we also identified a strong correlation between activation intensity and age under this condition. However, we observed an inconsistent activation pattern when the SNR was 5 dB. Furthermore, our analysis revealed that the left hemisphere may be more susceptible to aging than the right hemisphere. Activation in the right hemisphere was more evident in older adults than in the left hemisphere; in contrast, younger adults showed leftward lateralization. CONCLUSIONS Our analysis showed that with aging, auditory cortical regions gradually become inflexible in noisy environments. Furthermore, changes in cortical activation patterns with aging may be related to SNR conditions, and that understandable speech with a low SNR ratio but still understandable may induce the highest level of activation. We also found that the left hemisphere was more affected by aging than the right hemisphere in speech perception tasks; the left-sided dominance observed in younger individuals gradually shifted to the right hemisphere with aging.
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Affiliation(s)
- Liu Yang
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Songjian Wang
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- These authors contributed equally to this work
| | - Younuo Chen
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ying Liang
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Fundamental Research on Biomechanics in Clinical Application, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Ting Chen
- School of Biomedical Engineering, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Fundamental Research on Biomechanics in Clinical Application, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yuan Wang
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Xinxing Fu
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Shuo Wang
- Beijing Institute of Otolaryngology, Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Key Laboratory of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery (Capital Medical University), Ministry of Education, Beijing Tongren Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
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Papoutselou E, Harrison S, Mai G, Buck B, Patil N, Wiggins I, Hartley D. Investigating mother-child inter-brain synchrony in a naturalistic paradigm: A functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning study. Eur J Neurosci 2024; 59:1386-1403. [PMID: 38155106 DOI: 10.1111/ejn.16233] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/19/2022] [Revised: 11/27/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 12/30/2023]
Abstract
Successful social interactions between mothers and children are hypothesised to play a significant role in a child's social, cognitive and language development. Earlier research has confirmed, through structured experimental paradigms, that these interactions could be underpinned by coordinated neural activity. Nevertheless, the extent of neural synchrony during real-life, ecologically valid interactions between mothers and their children remains largely unexplored. In this study, we investigated mother-child inter-brain synchrony using a naturalistic free-play paradigm. We also examined the relationship between neural synchrony, verbal communication patterns and personality traits to further understand the underpinnings of brain synchrony. Twelve children aged between 3 and 5 years old and their mothers participated in this study. Neural synchrony in mother-child dyads were measured bilaterally over frontal and temporal areas using functional Near Infra-red Spectroscopy (fNIRS) whilst the dyads were asked to play with child-friendly toys together (interactive condition) and separately (independent condition). Communication patterns were captured via video recordings and conversational turns were coded. Compared to the independent condition, mother-child dyads showed increased neural synchrony in the interactive condition across the prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction. There was no significant relationship found between neural synchrony and turn-taking and between neural synchrony and the personality traits of each member of the dyad. Overall, we demonstrate the feasibility of measuring inter-brain synchrony between mothers and children in a naturalistic environment. These findings can inform future study designs to assess inter-brain synchrony between parents and pre-lingual children and/or children with communication needs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Efstratia Papoutselou
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Samantha Harrison
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Guangting Mai
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Bryony Buck
- Hearing Sciences - Scottish Section, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Nikita Patil
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
- School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
| | - Ian Wiggins
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
| | - Douglas Hartley
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre (BRC), National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queen's Medical Centre, Nottingham, UK
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Moffat R, Caruana N, Cross ES. Inhibiting responses under the watch of a recently synchronized peer increases self-monitoring: evidence from functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Open Biol 2024; 14:230382. [PMID: 38378138 PMCID: PMC10878812 DOI: 10.1098/rsob.230382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2023] [Accepted: 01/30/2024] [Indexed: 02/22/2024] Open
Abstract
Developing motor synchrony with a peer (through interventions such as the mirror game) can yield collaborative, cognitive and social benefits. However, it is also well established that observation by an audience can improve cognition. The combined and relative advantages offered by motor synchronization and audience effects are not yet understood. It is important to address this gap to determine the extent to which synchronizing activities might interact with the positive effects of an audience. In this preregistered study, we investigate the extent to which response inhibition may be improved when observed by a peer after motor synchronization with this peer. We compare behavioural and cortical (functional near-infrared spectroscopy; fNIRS) measures of inhibition between synchronized and non-synchronized dyads and find that the presence of a synchronized peer-audience introduces a speed-accuracy trade-off, consisting of slower reaction times and improved accuracy. This co-occurs with cortical activation in bilateral inferior frontal and middle prefrontal cortices, which are implicated in monitoring and maintenance of social alignment. Our findings have implications for carers and support people, who may benefit from synchronizing activities for rehabilitating inhibition and social skills in clinical settings.
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Affiliation(s)
- R. Moffat
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- Professorship for Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
| | - N. Caruana
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- College of Education, Psychology and Social Work, Flinders University, Bedford Park, South Australia, Australia
| | - E. S. Cross
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, New South Wales 2109, Australia
- MARCS Institute for Brain, Behaviour and Development, Western Sydney University, Westmead Innovation Quarter Building U, Westmead New South Wales 2145, Australia
- Institute of Neuroscience and Psychology, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QB, UK
- Professorship for Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8092, Switzerland
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Moffat R, Casale CE, Cross ES. Mobile fNIRS for exploring inter-brain synchrony across generations and time. FRONTIERS IN NEUROERGONOMICS 2024; 4:1260738. [PMID: 38234472 PMCID: PMC10790948 DOI: 10.3389/fnrgo.2023.1260738] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2023] [Accepted: 12/01/2023] [Indexed: 01/19/2024]
Abstract
While still relatively rare, longitudinal hyperscanning studies are exceptionally valuable for documenting changes in inter-brain synchrony, which may in turn underpin how behaviors develop and evolve in social settings. The generalizability and ecological validity of this experimental approach hinges on the selected imaging technique being mobile-a requirement met by functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). fNIRS has most frequently been used to examine the development of inter-brain synchrony and behavior in child-parent dyads. In this position paper, we contend that dedicating attention to longitudinal and intergenerational hyperscanning stands to benefit the fields of social and cognitive neuroscience more broadly. We argue that this approach is particularly relevant for understanding the neural mechanisms underpinning intergenerational social dynamics, and potentially for benchmarking progress in psychological and social interventions, many of which are situated in intergenerational contexts. In line with our position, we highlight areas of intergenerational research that stand to be enhanced by longitudinal hyperscanning with mobile devices, describe challenges that may arise from measuring across generations in the real world, and offer potential solutions.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryssa Moffat
- Social Brain Sciences, ETH Zurich, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Courtney E. Casale
- School of Psychological Sciences, Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
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Mizrahi T, Axelrod V. Naturalistic auditory stimuli with fNIRS prefrontal cortex imaging: A potential paradigm for disorder of consciousness diagnostics (a study with healthy participants). Neuropsychologia 2023; 187:108604. [PMID: 37271305 DOI: 10.1016/j.neuropsychologia.2023.108604] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/30/2023] [Revised: 06/01/2023] [Accepted: 06/02/2023] [Indexed: 06/06/2023]
Abstract
Disorder of consciousness (DOC) is a devastating condition due to brain damage. A patient in this condition is non-responsive, but nevertheless might be conscious at least at some level. Determining the conscious level of DOC patients is important for both medical and ethical reasons, but reliably achieving this has been a major challenge. Naturalistic stimuli in combination with neuroimaging have been proposed as a promising approach for DOC patient diagnosis. Capitalizing on and extending this proposal, the goal of the present study conducted with healthy participants was to develop a new paradigm with naturalistic auditory stimuli and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) - an approach that can be used at the bedside. Twenty-four healthy participants passively listened to 9 min of auditory story, scrambled auditory story, classical music, and scrambled classical music segments while their prefrontal cortex activity was recorded using fNIRS. We found much higher intersubject correlation (ISC) during story compared to scrambled story conditions both at the group level and in the majority of individual subjects, suggesting that fNIRS imaging of the prefrontal cortex might be a sensitive method to capture neural changes associated with narrative comprehension. In contrast, the ISC during the classical music segment did not differ reliably from scrambled classical music and was also much lower than the story condition. Our main result is that naturalistic auditory stories with fNIRS might be used in a clinical setup to identify high-level processing and potential consciousness in DOC patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tamar Mizrahi
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel; Head Injuries Rehabilitation Department, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel.
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Xu G, Huo C, Yin J, Zhong Y, Sun G, Fan Y, Wang D, Li Z. Test-retest reliability of fNIRS in resting-state cortical activity and brain network assessment in stroke patients. BIOMEDICAL OPTICS EXPRESS 2023; 14:4217-4236. [PMID: 37799694 PMCID: PMC10549743 DOI: 10.1364/boe.491610] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2023] [Revised: 06/24/2023] [Accepted: 07/05/2023] [Indexed: 10/07/2023]
Abstract
Resting-state functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) scanning has attracted considerable attention in stroke rehabilitation research in recent years. The aim of this study was to quantify the reliability of fNIRS in cortical activity intensity and brain network metrics among resting-state stroke patients, and to comprehensively evaluate the effects of frequency selection, scanning duration, analysis and preprocessing strategies on test-retest reliability. Nineteen patients with stroke underwent two resting fNIRS scanning sessions with an interval of 24 hours. The haemoglobin signals were preprocessed by principal component analysis, common average reference and haemodynamic modality separation (HMS) algorithm respectively. The cortical activity, functional connectivity level, local network metrics (degree, betweenness and local efficiency) and global network metrics were calculated at 25 frequency scales × 16 time windows. The test-retest reliability of each fNIRS metric was quantified by the intraclass correlation coefficient. The results show that (1) the high-frequency band has higher ICC values than the low-frequency band, and the fNIRS metric is more reliable than at the individual channel level when averaged within the brain region channel, (2) the ICC values of the low-frequency band above the 4-minute scan time are generally higher than 0.5, the local efficiency and global network metrics reach high and excellent reliability levels after 4 min (0.5 < ICC < 0.9), with moderate or even poor reliability for degree and betweenness (ICC < 0.5), (3) HMS algorithm performs best in improving the low-frequency band ICC values. The results indicate that a scanning duration of more than 4 minutes can lead to high reliability of most fNIRS metrics when assessing low-frequency resting brain function in stroke patients. It is recommended to use the global correction method of HMS, and the reporting of degree, betweenness and single channel level should be performed with caution. This paper provides the first comprehensive reference for resting-state experimental design and analysis strategies for fNIRS in stroke rehabilitation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gongcheng Xu
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, China
| | - Congcong Huo
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Jiahui Yin
- School of Athletic Performance, Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
| | - Yanbiao Zhong
- Department of Rehabilitation Medicine, First Affiliated Hospital of Gannan Medical University, Ganzhou, China
| | - Guoyu Sun
- Changsha Medical University, Changsha, China
| | - Yubo Fan
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
- School of Engineering Medicine, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Daifa Wang
- Key Laboratory for Biomechanics and Mechanobiology of Ministry of Education, Beijing Advanced Innovation Center for Biomedical Engineering, School of Biological Science and Medical Engineering, Beihang University, Beijing, China
| | - Zengyong Li
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Rehabilitation Technical Aids for Old-Age Disability, National Research Center for Rehabilitation Technical Aids, Beijing, China
- Key Laboratory of Neuro-functional Information and Rehabilitation Engineering of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, Beijing, China
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Zhou XQ, Zhang QL, Xi X, Leng MR, Liu H, Liu S, Zhang T, Yuan W. Cortical responses correlate with speech performance in pre-lingually deaf cochlear implant children. Front Neurosci 2023; 17:1126813. [PMID: 37332858 PMCID: PMC10272438 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2023.1126813] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2022] [Accepted: 05/17/2023] [Indexed: 06/20/2023] Open
Abstract
Introduction Cochlear implantation is currently the most successful intervention for severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss, particularly in deaf infants and children. Nonetheless, there remains a significant degree of variability in the outcomes of CI post-implantation. The purpose of this study was to understand the cortical correlates of the variability in speech outcomes with a cochlear implant in pre-lingually deaf children using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), an emerging brain-imaging technique. Methods In this experiment, cortical activities when processing visual speech and two levels of auditory speech, including auditory speech in quiet and in noise with signal-to-noise ratios of 10 dB, were examined in 38 CI recipients with pre-lingual deafness and 36 normally hearing children whose age and sex matched CI users. The HOPE corpus (a corpus of Mandarin sentences) was used to generate speech stimuli. The regions of interest (ROIs) for the fNIRS measurements were fronto-temporal-parietal networks involved in language processing, including bilateral superior temporal gyrus, left inferior frontal gyrus, and bilateral inferior parietal lobes. Results The fNIRS results confirmed and extended findings previously reported in the neuroimaging literature. Firstly, cortical responses of superior temporal gyrus to both auditory and visual speech in CI users were directly correlated to auditory speech perception scores, with the strongest positive association between the levels of cross-modal reorganization and CI outcome. Secondly, compared to NH controls, CI users, particularly those with good speech perception, showed larger cortical activation in the left inferior frontal gyrus in response to all speech stimuli used in the experiment. Discussion In conclusion, cross-modal activation to visual speech in the auditory cortex of pre-lingually deaf CI children may be at least one of the neural bases of highly variable CI performance due to its beneficial effects for speech understanding, thus supporting the prediction and assessment of CI outcomes in clinic. Additionally, cortical activation of the left inferior frontal gyrus may be a cortical marker for effortful listening.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiao-Qing Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Qing-Ling Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
| | - Xin Xi
- Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, Chinese PLA General Hospital, Beijing, China
| | - Ming-Rong Leng
- Chongqing Integrated Service Center for Disabled Persons, Chongqing, China
| | - Hao Liu
- Chongqing Integrated Service Center for Disabled Persons, Chongqing, China
| | - Shu Liu
- Chongqing Integrated Service Center for Disabled Persons, Chongqing, China
| | - Ting Zhang
- Chongqing Integrated Service Center for Disabled Persons, Chongqing, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing, China
- Department of Otolaryngology, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing, China
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Sulas E, Hasan PY, Zhang Y, Patou F. Streamlining experiment design in cognitive hearing science using OpenSesame. Behav Res Methods 2023; 55:1965-1979. [PMID: 35794416 PMCID: PMC10250502 DOI: 10.3758/s13428-022-01886-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
Auditory science increasingly builds on concepts and testing paradigms originated in behavioral psychology and cognitive neuroscience - an evolution of which the resulting discipline is now known as cognitive hearing science. Experimental cognitive hearing science paradigms call for hybrid cognitive and psychobehavioral tests such as those relating the attentional system, working memory, and executive functioning to low-level auditory acuity or speech intelligibility. Building complex multi-stimuli experiments can rapidly become time-consuming and error-prone. Platform-based experiment design can help streamline the implementation of cognitive hearing science experimental paradigms, promote the standardization of experiment design practices, and ensure reliability and control. Here, we introduce a set of features for the open-source python-based OpenSesame platform that allows the rapid implementation of custom behavioral and cognitive hearing science tests, including complex multichannel audio stimuli while interfacing with various synchronous inputs/outputs. Our integration includes advanced audio playback capabilities with multiple loudspeakers, an adaptive procedure, compatibility with standard I/Os and their synchronization through implementation of the Lab Streaming Layer protocol. We exemplify the capabilities of this extended OpenSesame platform with an implementation of the three-alternative forced choice amplitude modulation detection test and discuss reliability and performance. The new features are available free of charge from GitHub: https://github.com/elus-om/BRM_OMEXP .
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12
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Noble AR, Resnick J, Broncheau M, Klotz S, Rubinstein JT, Werner LA, Horn DL. Spectrotemporal Modulation Discrimination in Infants With Normal Hearing. Ear Hear 2023; 44:109-117. [PMID: 36218270 PMCID: PMC9780152 DOI: 10.1097/aud.0000000000001277] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVES Spectral resolution correlates with speech understanding in post-lingually deafened adults with cochlear implants (CIs) and is proposed as a non-linguistic measure of device efficacy in implanted infants. However, spectral resolution develops gradually through adolescence regardless of hearing status. Spectral resolution relies on two different factors that mature at markedly different rates: Resolution of ripple peaks (frequency resolution) matures during infancy whereas sensitivity to across-spectrum intensity modulation (spectral modulation sensitivity) matures by age 12. Investigation of spectral resolution as a clinical measure for implanted infants requires understanding how each factor develops and constrains speech understanding with a CI. This study addresses the limitations of the present literature. First, the paucity of relevant data requires replication and generalization across measures of spectral resolution. Second, criticism that previously used measures of spectral resolution may reflect non-spectral cues needs to be addressed. Third, rigorous behavioral measurement of spectral resolution in individual infants is limited by attrition. To address these limitations, we measured discrimination of spectrally modulated, or rippled, sounds at two modulation depths in normal hearing (NH) infants and adults. Non-spectral cues were limited by constructing stimuli with spectral envelopes that change in phase across time. Pilot testing suggested that dynamic spectral envelope stimuli appeared to hold infants' attention and lengthen habituation time relative to previously used static ripple stimuli. A post-hoc condition was added to ensure that the stimulus noise carrier was not obscuring age differences in spectral resolution. The degree of improvement in discrimination at higher ripple depth represents spectral frequency resolution independent of the overall threshold. It was hypothesized that adults would have better thresholds than infants but both groups would show similar effects of modulation depth. DESIGN Participants were 53 6- to 7-month-old infants and 23 adults with NH with no risk factors for hearing loss who passed bilateral otoacoustic emissions screening. Stimuli were created from complexes with 33- or 100-tones per octave, amplitude-modulated across frequency and time with constant 5 Hz envelope phase-drift and spectral ripple density from 1 to 20 ripples per octave (RPO). An observer-based, single-interval procedure measured the highest RPO (1 to 19) a listener could discriminate from a 20 RPO stimulus. Age-group and stimulus pure-tone complex were between-subjects variables whereas modulation depth (10 or 20 dB) was within-subjects. Linear-mixed model analysis was used to test for the significance of the main effects and interactions. RESULTS All adults and 94% of infants provided ripple density thresholds at both modulation depths. The upper range of threshold approached 17 RPO with the 100-tones/octave carrier and 20 dB depth condition. As expected, mean threshold was significantly better with the 100-tones/octave compared with the 33-tones/octave complex, better in adults than in infants, and better at 20 dB than 10 dB modulation depth. None of the interactions reached significance, suggesting that the effect of modulation depth on the threshold was not different for infants or adults. CONCLUSIONS Spectral ripple discrimination can be measured in infants with minimal listener attrition using dynamic ripple stimuli. Results are consistent with previous findings that spectral resolution is immature in infancy due to immature spectral modulation sensitivity rather than frequency resolution.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anisha R. Noble
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Jesse Resnick
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Mariette Broncheau
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Stephanie Klotz
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Jay T. Rubinstein
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - Lynne A. Werner
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
| | - David L. Horn
- Department of Otolaryngology – Head and Neck Surgery, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
- Department of Speech and Hearing Sciences, University of Washington, Seattle, WA
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13
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Somech N, Mizrahi T, Caspi Y, Axelrod V. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy imaging of the prefrontal cortex during a naturalistic comedy movie. Front Neurosci 2022; 16:913540. [PMID: 36161175 PMCID: PMC9493198 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2022.913540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/05/2022] [Accepted: 08/12/2022] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
Naturalistic stimulation (i.e., movies and auditory narratives of some minutes' length) has been a powerful approach to bringing more real-life experiences into laboratory experiments. Data-driven, intersubject correlation (ISC) analysis permits examining to what extent activity in a specific brain region correlates across participants during exposure to a naturalistic stimulus, as well as testing whether neural activity correlates with behavioral measures. Notably, most of the previous research with naturalistic stimuli was conducted using functional fMRI (fMRI). Here, we tested whether a naturalistic approach and the ISC are feasible using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) - the imaging method particularly suited for populations of patients and children. Fifty-three healthy adult participants watched twice a 3-min segment of a Charlie Chaplin movie while we recorded the brain activity on the surface of their prefrontal cortex using fNIRS. In addition, an independent group of 18 participants used a continuous scoring procedure to rate the extent to which they felt that different parts of the movie fragment were funny. Our two findings were as follows. First, we found higher-than-zero ISC in fNIRS signals in the prefrontal cortex lobes, a result that was particularly high in the oxygenated channels during the first repetition of the movie. Second, we found a significant negative correlation between oxygenated brain signals and ratings of the movie's humorousness. In a series of control analyses we demonstrated that this latter correlation could not be explained by various non-humor-related movie sensory properties (e.g., auditory volume and image brightness). The key overall outcome of the present study is that fNIRS in combination with the naturalistic paradigms and the ISC might be a sensitive and powerful research method to explore cognitive processing. Our results also suggest a potential role of the prefrontal cortex in humor appreciation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Noam Somech
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Tamar Mizrahi
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
- Head Injuries Rehabilitation Department, Sheba Medical Center, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Yael Caspi
- Department of Psychology, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
| | - Vadim Axelrod
- The Gonda Multidisciplinary Brain Research Center, Bar-Ilan University, Ramat Gan, Israel
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14
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Zhou X, Feng M, Hu Y, Zhang C, Zhang Q, Luo X, Yuan W. The Effects of Cortical Reorganization and Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy in Deaf People and Cochlear Implant Users. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12091150. [PMID: 36138885 PMCID: PMC9496692 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12091150] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/29/2022] [Revised: 08/19/2022] [Accepted: 08/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
A cochlear implant (CI) is currently the only FDA-approved biomedical device that can restore hearing for the majority of patients with severe-to-profound sensorineural hearing loss (SNHL). While prelingually and postlingually deaf individuals benefit substantially from CI, the outcomes after implantation vary greatly. Numerous studies have attempted to study the variables that affect CI outcomes, including the personal characteristics of CI candidates, environmental variables, and device-related variables. Up to 80% of the results remained unexplainable because all these variables could only roughly predict auditory performance with a CI. Brain structure/function differences after hearing deprivation, that is, cortical reorganization, has gradually attracted the attention of neuroscientists. The cross-modal reorganization in the auditory cortex following deafness is thought to be a key factor in the success of CI. In recent years, the adaptive and maladaptive effects of this reorganization on CI rehabilitation have been argued because the neural mechanisms of how this reorganization impacts CI learning and rehabilitation have not been revealed. Due to the lack of brain processes describing how this plasticity affects CI learning and rehabilitation, the adaptive and deleterious consequences of this reorganization on CI outcomes have recently been the subject of debate. This review describes the evidence for different roles of cross-modal reorganization in CI performance and attempts to explore the possible reasons. Additionally, understanding the core influencing mechanism requires taking into account the cortical changes from deafness to hearing restoration. However, methodological issues have restricted longitudinal research on cortical function in CI. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has been increasingly used for the study of brain function and language assessment in CI because of its unique advantages, which are considered to have great potential. Here, we review studies on auditory cortex reorganization in deaf patients and CI recipients, and then we try to illustrate the feasibility of fNIRS as a neuroimaging tool in predicting and assessing speech performance in CI recipients. Here, we review research on the cross-modal reorganization of the auditory cortex in deaf patients and CI recipients and seek to demonstrate the viability of using fNIRS as a neuroimaging technique to predict and evaluate speech function in CI recipients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaoqing Zhou
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Menglong Feng
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Yaqin Hu
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Chanyuan Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Qingling Zhang
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Xiaoqin Luo
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
| | - Wei Yuan
- Department of Otolaryngolgy, Chongqing General Hospital, Chongqing 401147, China
- Chongqing Medical University, Chongqing 400042, China
- Chongqing School, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Chongqing Institute of Green and Intelligent Technology, University of Chinese Academy of Sciences, Chongqing 400714, China
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +86-23-63535180
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15
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Shader MJ, Luke R, McKay CM. Contralateral dominance to speech in the adult auditory cortex immediately after cochlear implantation. iScience 2022; 25:104737. [PMID: 35938045 PMCID: PMC9352526 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 07/07/2022] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
Abstract
Sensory deprivation causes structural and functional changes in the human brain. Cochlear implantation delivers immediate reintroduction of auditory sensory information. Previous reports have indicated that over a year is required for the brain to reestablish canonical cortical processing patterns after the reintroduction of auditory stimulation. We utilized functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to investigate brain activity to natural speech stimuli directly after cochlear implantation. We presented 12 cochlear implant recipients, who each had a minimum of 12 months of auditory deprivation, with unilateral auditory- and visual-speech stimuli. Regardless of the side of implantation, canonical responses were elicited primarily on the contralateral side of stimulation as early as 1 h after device activation. These data indicate that auditory pathway connections are sustained during periods of sensory deprivation in adults, and that typical cortical lateralization is observed immediately following the reintroduction of auditory sensory input.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maureen J. Shader
- Purdue University, Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences, 715 Clinic Drive, West Lafayette, IN 47907, USA
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
| | - Robert Luke
- Bionics Institute, 384-388 Albert St, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- Macquarie University, Department of Linguistics, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Macquarie Hearing, NSW 2109, Australia
| | - Colette M. McKay
- Bionics Institute, 384-388 Albert St, East Melbourne, VIC 3002, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Parkville, VIC 3010, Australia
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16
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Bálint A, Wimmer W, Caversaccio M, Weder S. Neural Activity During Audiovisual Speech Processing: Protocol For a Functional Neuroimaging Study. JMIR Res Protoc 2022; 11:e38407. [PMID: 35727624 PMCID: PMC9239541 DOI: 10.2196/38407] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/31/2022] [Revised: 05/12/2022] [Accepted: 06/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) studies have demonstrated associations between hearing outcomes after cochlear implantation and plastic brain changes. However, inconsistent results make it difficult to draw conclusions. A major problem is that many variables need to be controlled. To gain further understanding, a careful preparation and planning of such a functional neuroimaging task is key. OBJECTIVE Using fNIRS, our main objective is to develop a well-controlled audiovisual speech comprehension task to study brain activation in individuals with normal hearing and hearing impairment (including cochlear implant users). The task should be deductible from clinically established tests, induce maximal cortical activation, use optimal coverage of relevant brain regions, and be reproducible by other research groups. METHODS The protocol will consist of a 5-minute resting state and 2 stimulation periods that are 12 minutes each. During the stimulation periods, 13-second video recordings of the clinically established Oldenburg Sentence Test (OLSA) will be presented. Stimuli will be presented in 4 different modalities: (1) speech in quiet, (2) speech in noise, (3) visual only (ie, lipreading), and (4) audiovisual speech. Each stimulus type will be repeated 10 times in a counterbalanced block design. Interactive question windows will monitor speech comprehension during the task. After the measurement, we will perform a 3D scan to digitize optode positions and verify the covered anatomical locations. RESULTS This paper reports the study protocol. Enrollment for the study started in August 2021. We expect to publish our first results by the end of 2022. CONCLUSIONS The proposed audiovisual speech comprehension task will help elucidate neural correlates to speech understanding. The comprehensive study will have the potential to provide additional information beyond the conventional clinical standards about the underlying plastic brain changes of a hearing-impaired person. It will facilitate more precise indication criteria for cochlear implantation and better planning of rehabilitation. INTERNATIONAL REGISTERED REPORT IDENTIFIER (IRRID) DERR1-10.2196/38407.
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Affiliation(s)
- András Bálint
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Hearing Research Laboratory, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Wilhelm Wimmer
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Hearing Research Laboratory, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Marco Caversaccio
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Hearing Research Laboratory, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Stefan Weder
- Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
- Hearing Research Laboratory, ARTORG Center for Biomedical Engineering Research, University of Bern, Bern, Switzerland
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17
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Sherafati A, Dwyer N, Bajracharya A, Hassanpour MS, Eggebrecht AT, Firszt JB, Culver JP, Peelle JE. Prefrontal cortex supports speech perception in listeners with cochlear implants. eLife 2022; 11:e75323. [PMID: 35666138 PMCID: PMC9225001 DOI: 10.7554/elife.75323] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/05/2021] [Accepted: 06/04/2022] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implants are neuroprosthetic devices that can restore hearing in people with severe to profound hearing loss by electrically stimulating the auditory nerve. Because of physical limitations on the precision of this stimulation, the acoustic information delivered by a cochlear implant does not convey the same level of acoustic detail as that conveyed by normal hearing. As a result, speech understanding in listeners with cochlear implants is typically poorer and more effortful than in listeners with normal hearing. The brain networks supporting speech understanding in listeners with cochlear implants are not well understood, partly due to difficulties obtaining functional neuroimaging data in this population. In the current study, we assessed the brain regions supporting spoken word understanding in adult listeners with right unilateral cochlear implants (n=20) and matched controls (n=18) using high-density diffuse optical tomography (HD-DOT), a quiet and non-invasive imaging modality with spatial resolution comparable to that of functional MRI. We found that while listening to spoken words in quiet, listeners with cochlear implants showed greater activity in the left prefrontal cortex than listeners with normal hearing, specifically in a region engaged in a separate spatial working memory task. These results suggest that listeners with cochlear implants require greater cognitive processing during speech understanding than listeners with normal hearing, supported by compensatory recruitment of the left prefrontal cortex.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arefeh Sherafati
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Noel Dwyer
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Aahana Bajracharya
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | | | - Adam T Eggebrecht
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Electrical & Systems Engineering, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jill B Firszt
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Joseph P Culver
- Department of Radiology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Division of Biology and Biomedical Sciences, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
- Department of Physics, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
| | - Jonathan E Peelle
- Department of Otolaryngology, Washington University in St. LouisSt. LouisUnited States
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18
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Luke R, Innes-Brown H, Undurraga JA, McAlpine D. Human cortical processing of interaural coherence. iScience 2022; 25:104181. [PMID: 35494228 PMCID: PMC9051632 DOI: 10.1016/j.isci.2022.104181] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 11/29/2021] [Accepted: 03/29/2022] [Indexed: 11/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Sounds reach the ears as a mixture of energy generated by different sources. Listeners extract cues that distinguish different sources from one another, including how similar sounds arrive at the two ears, the interaural coherence (IAC). Here, we find listeners cannot reliably distinguish two completely interaurally coherent sounds from a single sound with reduced IAC. Pairs of sounds heard toward the front were readily confused with single sounds with high IAC, whereas those heard to the sides were confused with single sounds with low IAC. Sounds that hold supra-ethological spatial cues are perceived as more diffuse than can be accounted for by their IAC, and this is accounted for by a computational model comprising a restricted, and sound-frequency dependent, distribution of auditory-spatial detectors. We observed elevated cortical hemodynamic responses for sounds with low IAC, suggesting that the ambiguity elicited by sounds with low interaural similarity imposes elevated cortical load.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Luke
- Macquarie University, Sydney, NSW, Australia
- The Bionics Institute, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
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19
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Calmels MN, Gallois Y, Marx M, Deguine O, Taoui S, Arnaud E, Strelnikov K, Barone P. Functional Reorganization of the Central Auditory System in Children with Single-Sided Deafness: A Protocol Using fNIRS. Brain Sci 2022; 12:brainsci12040423. [PMID: 35447955 PMCID: PMC9029510 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci12040423] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/18/2022] [Revised: 03/16/2022] [Accepted: 03/17/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
In children, single-sided deafness (SSD) affects the development of linguistic and social skills and can impede educational progress. These difficulties may relate to cortical changes that occur following SSD, such as reduced inter-hemispheric functional asymmetry and maladaptive brain plasticity. To investigate these neuronal changes and their evolution in children, a non-invasive technique is required that is little affected by motion artifacts. Here, we present a research protocol that uses functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to evaluate the reorganization of cortical auditory asymmetry in children with SSD; it also examines how the cortical changes relate to auditory and language skills. The protocol is designed for children whose SSD has not been treated, because hearing restoration can alter both brain reorganization and behavioral performance. We propose a single-center, cross-sectional study that includes 30 children with SSD (congenital or acquired moderate-to-profound deafness) and 30 children with normal hearing (NH), all aged 5–16 years. The children undergo fNIRS during monaural and binaural stimulation, and the pattern of cortical activity is analyzed using measures of the peak amplitude and area under the curve for both oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin. These cortical measures can be compared between the two groups of children, and analyses can be run to determine whether they relate to binaural hearing (speech-in-noise and sound localization), speech perception and production, and quality of life (QoL). The results could be of relevance for developing individualized rehabilitation programs for SSD, which could reduce patients’ difficulties and prevent long-term neurofunctional and clinical consequences.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie-Noëlle Calmels
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Yohan Gallois
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
| | - Mathieu Marx
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
- Centre de Recherche cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 31052 Toulouse, France; (E.A.); (P.B.)
- UMR 5549, Faculté de Médecine de Purpan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 31055 Toulouse, France
| | - Olivier Deguine
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
- Centre de Recherche cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 31052 Toulouse, France; (E.A.); (P.B.)
- UMR 5549, Faculté de Médecine de Purpan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 31055 Toulouse, France
| | - Soumia Taoui
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
| | - Emma Arnaud
- Centre de Recherche cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 31052 Toulouse, France; (E.A.); (P.B.)
- UMR 5549, Faculté de Médecine de Purpan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 31055 Toulouse, France
| | - Kuzma Strelnikov
- Service d′Oto-Rhino-Laryngologie, d′Oto-Neurologie et d′ORL Pédiatrique, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, CEDEX 9, 31059 Toulouse, France; (Y.G.); (M.M.); (O.D.); (S.T.); (K.S.)
| | - Pascal Barone
- Centre de Recherche cerveau et Cognition, Université de Toulouse, Université Paul Sabatier, 31052 Toulouse, France; (E.A.); (P.B.)
- UMR 5549, Faculté de Médecine de Purpan, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, 31055 Toulouse, France
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20
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Mushtaq F, Wiggins IM, Kitterick PT, Anderson CA, Hartley DEH. Investigating Cortical Responses to Noise-Vocoded Speech in Children with Normal Hearing Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS). J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2021; 22:703-717. [PMID: 34581879 PMCID: PMC8599557 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-021-00817-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/26/2020] [Accepted: 09/07/2021] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Whilst functional neuroimaging has been used to investigate cortical processing of degraded speech in adults, much less is known about how these signals are processed in children. An enhanced understanding of cortical correlates of poor speech perception in children would be highly valuable to oral communication applications, including hearing devices. We utilised vocoded speech stimuli to investigate brain responses to degraded speech in 29 normally hearing children aged 6-12 years. Intelligibility of the speech stimuli was altered in two ways by (i) reducing the number of spectral channels and (ii) reducing the amplitude modulation depth of the signal. A total of five different noise-vocoded conditions (with zero, partial or high intelligibility) were presented in an event-related format whilst participants underwent functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) neuroimaging. Participants completed a word recognition task during imaging, as well as a separate behavioural speech perception assessment. fNIRS recordings revealed statistically significant sensitivity to stimulus intelligibility across several brain regions. More intelligible stimuli elicited stronger responses in temporal regions, predominantly within the left hemisphere, while right inferior parietal regions showed an opposite, negative relationship. Although there was some evidence that partially intelligible stimuli elicited the strongest responses in the left inferior frontal cortex, a region previous studies have suggested is associated with effortful listening in adults, this effect did not reach statistical significance. These results further our understanding of cortical mechanisms underlying successful speech perception in children. Furthermore, fNIRS holds promise as a clinical technique to help assess speech intelligibility in paediatric populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizah Mushtaq
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK.
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Ian M Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Pádraig T Kitterick
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Carly A Anderson
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Douglas E H Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
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21
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Nagels-Coune L, Riecke L, Benitez-Andonegui A, Klinkhammer S, Goebel R, De Weerd P, Lührs M, Sorger B. See, Hear, or Feel - to Speak: A Versatile Multiple-Choice Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy-Brain-Computer Interface Feasible With Visual, Auditory, or Tactile Instructions. Front Hum Neurosci 2021; 15:784522. [PMID: 34899223 PMCID: PMC8656940 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2021.784522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2021] [Accepted: 11/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Severely motor-disabled patients, such as those suffering from the so-called "locked-in" syndrome, cannot communicate naturally. They may benefit from brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) exploiting brain signals for communication and therewith circumventing the muscular system. One BCI technique that has gained attention recently is functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Typically, fNIRS-based BCIs allow for brain-based communication via voluntarily modulation of brain activity through mental task performance guided by visual or auditory instructions. While the development of fNIRS-BCIs has made great progress, the reliability of fNIRS-BCIs across time and environments has rarely been assessed. In the present fNIRS-BCI study, we tested six healthy participants across three consecutive days using a straightforward four-choice fNIRS-BCI communication paradigm that allows answer encoding based on instructions using various sensory modalities. To encode an answer, participants performed a motor imagery task (mental drawing) in one out of four time periods. Answer encoding was guided by either the visual, auditory, or tactile sensory modality. Two participants were tested outside the laboratory in a cafeteria. Answers were decoded from the time course of the most-informative fNIRS channel-by-chromophore combination. Across the three testing days, we obtained mean single- and multi-trial (joint analysis of four consecutive trials) accuracies of 62.5 and 85.19%, respectively. Obtained multi-trial accuracies were 86.11% for visual, 80.56% for auditory, and 88.89% for tactile sensory encoding. The two participants that used the fNIRS-BCI in a cafeteria obtained the best single- (72.22 and 77.78%) and multi-trial accuracies (100 and 94.44%). Communication was reliable over the three recording sessions with multi-trial accuracies of 86.11% on day 1, 86.11% on day 2, and 83.33% on day 3. To gauge the trade-off between number of optodes and decoding accuracy, averaging across two and three promising fNIRS channels was compared to the one-channel approach. Multi-trial accuracy increased from 85.19% (one-channel approach) to 91.67% (two-/three-channel approach). In sum, the presented fNIRS-BCI yielded robust decoding results using three alternative sensory encoding modalities. Further, fNIRS-BCI communication was stable over the course of three consecutive days, even in a natural (social) environment. Therewith, the developed fNIRS-BCI demonstrated high flexibility, reliability and robustness, crucial requirements for future clinical applicability.
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Affiliation(s)
- Laurien Nagels-Coune
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Zorggroep Sint-Kamillus, Bierbeek, Belgium
| | - Lars Riecke
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Amaia Benitez-Andonegui
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
- MEG Core Facility, National Institutes of Mental Health, Bethesda, MD, United States
| | - Simona Klinkhammer
- Department of Psychiatry and Neuropsychology, Faculty of Health Medicine and Life Sciences, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Rainer Goebel
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Brain Innovation B.V., Maastricht, Netherlands
| | - Peter De Weerd
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Centre for Systems Biology, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
| | | | - Bettina Sorger
- Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht University, Maastricht, Netherlands
- Maastricht Brain Imaging Center, Maastricht, Netherlands
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22
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Harrison SC, Lawrence R, Hoare DJ, Wiggins IM, Hartley DEH. Use of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy to Predict and Measure Cochlear Implant Outcomes: A Scoping Review. Brain Sci 2021; 11:brainsci11111439. [PMID: 34827438 PMCID: PMC8615917 DOI: 10.3390/brainsci11111439] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2021] [Revised: 10/15/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Outcomes following cochlear implantation vary widely for both adults and children, and behavioral tests are currently relied upon to assess this. However, these behavioral tests rely on subjective judgements that can be unreliable, particularly for infants and young children. The addition of an objective test of outcome following cochlear implantation is therefore desirable. The aim of this scoping review was to comprehensively catalogue the evidence for the potential of functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to be used as a tool to objectively predict and measure cochlear implant outcomes. A scoping review of the literature was conducted following the PRISMA extension for scoping review framework. Searches were conducted in the MEDLINE, EMBASE, PubMed, CINAHL, SCOPUS, and Web of Science electronic databases, with a hand search conducted in Google Scholar. Key terms relating to near infrared spectroscopy and cochlear implants were used to identify relevant publications. Eight records met the criteria for inclusion. Seven records reported on adult populations, with five records only including post-lingually deaf individuals and two including both pre- and post-lingually deaf individuals. Studies were either longitudinal or cross-sectional, and all studies compared fNIRS measurements with receptive speech outcomes. This review identified and collated key work in this field. The homogeneity of the populations studied so far identifies key gaps for future research, including the use of fNIRS in infants. By mapping the literature on this important topic, this review contributes knowledge towards the improvement of outcomes following cochlear implantation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Samantha C. Harrison
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; (R.L.); (D.J.H.); (I.M.W.); (D.E.H.H.)
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +44-115-823-2640
| | - Rachael Lawrence
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; (R.L.); (D.J.H.); (I.M.W.); (D.E.H.H.)
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
| | - Derek J. Hoare
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; (R.L.); (D.J.H.); (I.M.W.); (D.E.H.H.)
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK
| | - Ian M. Wiggins
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; (R.L.); (D.J.H.); (I.M.W.); (D.E.H.H.)
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK
| | - Douglas E. H. Hartley
- NIHR Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK; (R.L.); (D.J.H.); (I.M.W.); (D.E.H.H.)
- Hearing Sciences, Mental Health and Clinical Neurosciences, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG1 5DU, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Nottingham NG5 1PB, UK
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Si X, Li S, Xiang S, Yu J, Ming D. Imagined speech increases the hemodynamic response and functional connectivity of the dorsal motor cortex. J Neural Eng 2021; 18. [PMID: 34507311 DOI: 10.1088/1741-2552/ac25d9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 11/12/2022]
Abstract
Objective. Decoding imagined speech from brain signals could provide a more natural, user-friendly way for developing the next generation of the brain-computer interface (BCI). With the advantages of non-invasive, portable, relatively high spatial resolution and insensitivity to motion artifacts, the functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) shows great potential for developing the non-invasive speech BCI. However, there is a lack of fNIRS evidence in uncovering the neural mechanism of imagined speech. Our goal is to investigate the specific brain regions and the corresponding cortico-cortical functional connectivity features during imagined speech with fNIRS.Approach. fNIRS signals were recorded from 13 subjects' bilateral motor and prefrontal cortex during overtly and covertly repeating words. Cortical activation was determined through the mean oxygen-hemoglobin concentration changes, and functional connectivity was calculated by Pearson's correlation coefficient.Main results. (a) The bilateral dorsal motor cortex was significantly activated during the covert speech, whereas the bilateral ventral motor cortex was significantly activated during the overt speech. (b) As a subregion of the motor cortex, sensorimotor cortex (SMC) showed a dominant dorsal response to covert speech condition, whereas a dominant ventral response to overt speech condition. (c) Broca's area was deactivated during the covert speech but activated during the overt speech. (d) Compared to overt speech, dorsal SMC(dSMC)-related functional connections were enhanced during the covert speech.Significance. We provide fNIRS evidence for the involvement of dSMC in speech imagery. dSMC is the speech imagery network's key hub and is probably involved in the sensorimotor information processing during the covert speech. This study could inspire the BCI community to focus on the potential contribution of dSMC during speech imagery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xiaopeng Si
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin International Engineering Institute, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Institute of Applied Psychology, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300350, People's Republic of China
| | - Sicheng Li
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Shaoxin Xiang
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin International Engineering Institute, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Jiayue Yu
- Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin International Engineering Institute, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
| | - Dong Ming
- Academy of Medical Engineering and Translational Medicine, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China.,Tianjin Key Laboratory of Brain Science and Neural Engineering, Tianjin University, Tianjin 300072, People's Republic of China
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24
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Mohammad PPS, Isarangura S, Eddins A, Parthasarathy AB. Comparison of functional activation responses from the auditory cortex derived using multi-distance frequency domain and continuous wave near-infrared spectroscopy. NEUROPHOTONICS 2021; 8:045004. [PMID: 34926716 PMCID: PMC8673635 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.8.4.045004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/14/2021] [Accepted: 11/29/2021] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Abstract
Significance: Quantitative measurements of cerebral hemodynamic changes due to functional activation are widely accomplished with commercial continuous wave (CW-NIRS) instruments despite the availability of the more rigorous multi-distance frequency domain (FD-NIRS) approach. A direct comparison of the two approaches to functional near-infrared spectroscopy can help in the interpretation of optical data and guide implementations of diffuse optical instruments for measuring functional activation. Aim: We explore the differences between CW-NIRS and multi-distance FD-NIRS by comparing measurements of functional activation in the human auditory cortex. Approach: Functional activation of the human auditory cortex was measured using a commercial frequency domain near-infrared spectroscopy instrument for 70 dB sound pressure level broadband noise and pure tone (1000 Hz) stimuli. Changes in tissue oxygenation were calculated using the modified Beer-Lambert law (CW-NIRS approach) and the photon diffusion equation (FD-NIRS approach). Results: Changes in oxygenated hemoglobin measured with the multi-distance FD-NIRS approach were about twice as large as those measured with the CW-NIRS approach. A finite-element simulation of the functional activation problem was performed to demonstrate that tissue oxygenation changes measured with the CW-NIRS approach is more accurate than that with multi-distance FD-NIRS. Conclusions: Multi-distance FD-NIRS approaches tend to overestimate functional activation effects, in part due to partial volume effects.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Sittiprapa Isarangura
- University of South Florida, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Tampa, Florida, United States
| | - Ann Eddins
- University of South Florida, Department of Communication Sciences and Disorders, Tampa, Florida, United States
| | - Ashwin B. Parthasarathy
- University of South Florida, Department of Electrical Engineering, Tampa, Florida, United States
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25
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Abstract
OBJECTIVES Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a brain imaging technique particularly suitable for hearing studies. However, the nature of fNIRS responses to auditory stimuli presented at different stimulus intensities is not well understood. In this study, we investigated whether fNIRS response amplitude was better predicted by stimulus properties (intensity) or individually perceived attributes (loudness). DESIGN Twenty-two young adults were included in this experimental study. Four different stimulus intensities of a broadband noise were used as stimuli. First, loudness estimates for each stimulus intensity were measured for each participant. Then, the 4 stimulation intensities were presented in counterbalanced order while recording hemoglobin saturation changes from cortical auditory brain areas. The fNIRS response was analyzed in a general linear model design, using 3 different regressors: a non-modulated, an intensity-modulated, and a loudness-modulated regressor. RESULTS Higher intensity stimuli resulted in higher amplitude fNIRS responses. The relationship between stimulus intensity and fNIRS response amplitude was better explained using a regressor based on individually estimated loudness estimates compared with a regressor modulated by stimulus intensity alone. CONCLUSIONS Brain activation in response to different stimulus intensities is more reliant upon individual loudness sensation than physical stimulus properties. Therefore, in measurements using different auditory stimulus intensities or subjective hearing parameters, loudness estimates should be examined when interpreting results.
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26
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Luke R, Larson E, Shader MJ, Innes-Brown H, Van Yper L, Lee AKC, Sowman PF, McAlpine D. Analysis methods for measuring passive auditory fNIRS responses generated by a block-design paradigm. NEUROPHOTONICS 2021; 8:025008. [PMID: 34036117 PMCID: PMC8140612 DOI: 10.1117/1.nph.8.2.025008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Accepted: 04/28/2021] [Indexed: 05/20/2023]
Abstract
Significance: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an increasingly popular tool in auditory research, but the range of analysis procedures employed across studies may complicate the interpretation of data. Aim: We aim to assess the impact of different analysis procedures on the morphology, detection, and lateralization of auditory responses in fNIRS. Specifically, we determine whether averaging or generalized linear model (GLM)-based analysis generates different experimental conclusions when applied to a block-protocol design. The impact of parameter selection of GLMs on detecting auditory-evoked responses was also quantified. Approach: 17 listeners were exposed to three commonly employed auditory stimuli: noise, speech, and silence. A block design, comprising sounds of 5 s duration and 10 to 20 s silent intervals, was employed. Results: Both analysis procedures generated similar response morphologies and amplitude estimates, and both indicated that responses to speech were significantly greater than to noise or silence. Neither approach indicated a significant effect of brain hemisphere on responses to speech. Methods to correct for systemic hemodynamic responses using short channels improved detection at the individual level. Conclusions: Consistent with theoretical considerations, simulations, and other experimental domains, GLM and averaging analyses generate the same group-level experimental conclusions. We release this dataset publicly for use in future development and optimization of algorithms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Robert Luke
- Macquarie University, Macquarie University Hearing & Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
- The Bionics Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Eric Larson
- University of Washington, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Maureen J. Shader
- The Bionics Institute, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Hamish Innes-Brown
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Eriksholm Research Centre, Oticon A/S, Snekkersten, Denmark
| | - Lindsey Van Yper
- Macquarie University, Macquarie University Hearing & Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - Adrian K. C. Lee
- University of Washington, Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, Seattle, Washington, United States
- University of Washington, Department of Speech & Hearing Sciences and Institute for Learning & Brain Sciences, Seattle, Washington, United States
| | - Paul F. Sowman
- Macquarie University, Department of Cognitive Science, Faculty of Medicine, Health and Human Sciences, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
| | - David McAlpine
- Macquarie University, Macquarie University Hearing & Department of Linguistics, Australian Hearing Hub, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia
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27
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Lawrence RJ, Wiggins IM, Hodgson JC, Hartley DEH. Evaluating cortical responses to speech in children: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study. Hear Res 2021; 401:108155. [PMID: 33360183 PMCID: PMC7937787 DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108155] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/30/2020] [Revised: 10/20/2020] [Accepted: 12/10/2020] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
Abstract
Functional neuroimaging of speech processing has both research and clinical potential. This work is facilitating an ever-increasing understanding of the complex neural mechanisms involved in the processing of speech. Neural correlates of speech understanding also have potential clinical value, especially for infants and children, in whom behavioural assessments can be unreliable. Such measures would not only benefit normally hearing children experiencing speech and language delay, but also hearing impaired children with and without hearing devices. In the current study, we examined cortical correlates of speech intelligibility in normally hearing paediatric listeners. Cortical responses were measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that is fully compatible with hearing devices, including cochlear implants. In nineteen normally hearing children (aged 6 - 13 years) we measured activity in temporal and frontal cortex bilaterally whilst participants listened to both clear- and noise-vocoded sentences targeting four levels of speech intelligibility. Cortical activation in superior temporal and inferior frontal cortex was generally stronger in the left hemisphere than in the right. Activation in left superior temporal cortex grew monotonically with increasing speech intelligibility. In the same region, we identified a trend towards greater activation on correctly vs. incorrectly perceived trials, suggesting a possible sensitivity to speech intelligibility per se, beyond sensitivity to changing acoustic properties across stimulation conditions. Outside superior temporal cortex, we identified other regions in which fNIRS responses varied with speech intelligibility. For example, channels overlying posterior middle temporal regions in the right hemisphere exhibited relative deactivation during sentence processing (compared to a silent baseline condition), with the amplitude of that deactivation being greater in more difficult listening conditions. This finding may represent sensitivity to components of the default mode network in lateral temporal regions, and hence effortful listening in normally hearing paediatric listeners. Our results indicate that fNIRS has the potential to provide an objective marker of speech intelligibility in normally hearing children. Should these results be found to apply to individuals experiencing language delay or to those listening through a hearing device, such as a cochlear implant, fNIRS may form the basis of a clinically useful measure of speech understanding.
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Affiliation(s)
- Rachael J Lawrence
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom; Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom.
| | - Ian M Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom; Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Jessica C Hodgson
- Lincoln Medical School - Universities of Nottingham and Lincoln, Charlotte Scott Building, University of Lincoln, Lincoln LN6 7TS, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas E H Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom; Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom; Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby Road, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
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28
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Rovetti J, Goy H, Nurgitz R, Russo FA. Comparing verbal working memory load in auditory and visual modalities using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Behav Brain Res 2021; 402:113102. [PMID: 33422594 DOI: 10.1016/j.bbr.2020.113102] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2020] [Revised: 11/29/2020] [Accepted: 12/27/2020] [Indexed: 10/22/2022]
Abstract
The verbal identity n-back task is commonly used to assess verbal working memory (VWM) capacity. Only three studies have compared brain activation during the n-back when using auditory and visual stimuli. The earliest study, a positron emission tomography study of the 3-back, found no differences in VWM-related brain activation between n-back modalities. In contrast, two subsequent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies of the 2-back found that auditory VWM was associated with greater left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DL-PFC) activation than visual VWM, perhaps suggesting that auditory VWM requires more cognitive effort than its visual counterpart. The current study aimed to assess whether DL-PFC activation (i.e., cognitive effort) differs by VWM modality. To do this, 16 younger adults completed an auditory and visual n-back, both at four levels of VWM load. Concurrently, activation of the PFC was measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a silent neuroimaging method. We found that DL-PFC activation increased with VWM load, but it was not affected by VWM modality or the interaction between load and modality. This supports the view that both VWM modalities require similar cognitive effort, and perhaps that previous fMRI results were an artefact of scanner noise. We also found that, across conditions, DL-PFC activation was positively correlated with reaction time. This may further support DL-PFC activation as an index of cognitive effort, and fNIRS as a method to measure it.
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Affiliation(s)
- Joseph Rovetti
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
| | - Huiwen Goy
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
| | - Rebecca Nurgitz
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
| | - Frank A Russo
- Department of Psychology, Ryerson University, 350 Victoria St, Toronto, ON M5B 2K3, Canada.
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29
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Shoushtarian M, Alizadehsani R, Khosravi A, Acevedo N, McKay CM, Nahavandi S, Fallon JB. Objective measurement of tinnitus using functional near-infrared spectroscopy and machine learning. PLoS One 2020; 15:e0241695. [PMID: 33206675 PMCID: PMC7673524 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0241695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 24] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/19/2022] Open
Abstract
Chronic tinnitus is a debilitating condition which affects 10-20% of adults and can severely impact their quality of life. Currently there is no objective measure of tinnitus that can be used clinically. Clinical assessment of the condition uses subjective feedback from individuals which is not always reliable. We investigated the sensitivity of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to differentiate individuals with and without tinnitus and to identify fNIRS features associated with subjective ratings of tinnitus severity. We recorded fNIRS signals in the resting state and in response to auditory or visual stimuli from 25 individuals with chronic tinnitus and 21 controls matched for age and hearing loss. Severity of tinnitus was rated using the Tinnitus Handicap Inventory and subjective ratings of tinnitus loudness and annoyance were measured on a visual analogue scale. Following statistical group comparisons, machine learning methods including feature extraction and classification were applied to the fNIRS features to classify patients with tinnitus and controls and differentiate tinnitus at different severity levels. Resting state measures of connectivity between temporal regions and frontal and occipital regions were significantly higher in patients with tinnitus compared to controls. In the tinnitus group, temporal-occipital connectivity showed a significant increase with subject ratings of loudness. Also in this group, both visual and auditory evoked responses were significantly reduced in the visual and auditory regions of interest respectively. Naïve Bayes classifiers were able to classify patients with tinnitus from controls with an accuracy of 78.3%. An accuracy of 87.32% was achieved using Neural Networks to differentiate patients with slight/ mild versus moderate/ severe tinnitus. Our findings show the feasibility of using fNIRS and machine learning to develop an objective measure of tinnitus. Such a measure would greatly benefit clinicians and patients by providing a tool to objectively assess new treatments and patients' treatment progress.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mehrnaz Shoushtarian
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Roohallah Alizadehsani
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI), Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Abbas Khosravi
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI), Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Nicola Acevedo
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
| | - Colette M. McKay
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Saeid Nahavandi
- Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI), Deakin University, Melbourne, Australia
| | - James B. Fallon
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Medical Bionics Department, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Otolaryngology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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30
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Karunakaran KD, Peng K, Berry D, Green S, Labadie R, Kussman B, Borsook D. NIRS measures in pain and analgesia: Fundamentals, features, and function. Neurosci Biobehav Rev 2020; 120:335-353. [PMID: 33159918 DOI: 10.1016/j.neubiorev.2020.10.023] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/06/2020] [Revised: 09/28/2020] [Accepted: 10/19/2020] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Current pain assessment techniques based only on clinical evaluation and self-reports are not objective and may lead to inadequate treatment. Having a functional biomarker will add to the clinical fidelity, diagnosis, and perhaps improve treatment efficacy in patients. While many approaches have been deployed in pain biomarker discovery, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a technology that allows for non-invasive measurement of cortical hemodynamics. The utility of fNIRS is especially attractive given its ability to detect specific changes in the somatosensory and high-order cortices as well as its ability to measure (1) brain function similar to functional magnetic resonance imaging, (2) graded responses to noxious and innocuous stimuli, (3) analgesia, and (4) nociception under anesthesia. In this review, we evaluate the utility of fNIRS in nociception/pain with particular focus on its sensitivity and specificity, methodological advantages and limitations, and the current and potential applications in various pain conditions. Everything considered, fNIRS technology could enhance our ability to evaluate evoked and persistent pain across different age groups and clinical populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Keerthana Deepti Karunakaran
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States.
| | - Ke Peng
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States; Département en Neuroscience, Centre de Recherche du CHUM, l'Université de Montréal Montreal, QC, Canada
| | - Delany Berry
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Stephen Green
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Robert Labadie
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - Barry Kussman
- Division of Cardiac Anesthesia, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States
| | - David Borsook
- Center for Pain and the Brain, Department of Anesthesiology, Critical Care and Pain Medicine, Boston Children's Hospital, Harvard Medical School, United States.
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Bae S, Lee Y, Chang P. There is No test-retest reliability of brain activation induced by robotic passive hand movement: A functional NIRS study. Brain Behav 2020; 10:e01788. [PMID: 32794359 PMCID: PMC7559614 DOI: 10.1002/brb3.1788] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/03/2019] [Revised: 06/03/2020] [Accepted: 07/06/2020] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION The basic paradigm of rehabilitation is based on the brain plasticity, and for promoting it, test-retest reliability (TRR) of brain activation in which certain area of the brain is repeatedly activated is required. In this study, we investigated whether the robotic passive movement has the TRR of brain activation. While active training has been shown to have TRR, but there still have been arguments over the TRR by passive movement. METHODS In order to test TRR, 10 repetitive sessions and various intervals (1 day, 3 days, 7 days, 23 days, 15 min, and 6 hr) were applied to five subjects, which had the same statistical power as applying two sessions to 50 subjects. In each session, three robot speeds (0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 Hz) were applied to provide passive movement using the robot. The fNIRS signal (oxy-Hb) generated in the primary sensorimotor area (SM1) was measured on a total of 29 channels. At this time, we used activation maps and intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) values to examine the TRR and the effect of robot speeds and intervals on TRR. RESULTS As a result, activation maps showed prominent variation regardless of robot speeds and interval, and the ICC value (=0.002) showed no TRR of brain activation for robotic passive movement. CONCLUSION The brain activation induced by the robotic passive movement alone has very poor TRR, suggesting that further enhancement is required to strengthen the TRR by complementing active user engagements.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sungjin Bae
- Department of Robotics EngineeringGraduate SchoolDaegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & TechnologyDaeguKorea
| | - Yonghee Lee
- Department of StatisticsUniversity of SeoulSeoulKorea
| | - Pyung‐Hun Chang
- Department of Robotics EngineeringGraduate SchoolDaegu Gyeongbuk Institute of Science & TechnologyDaeguKorea
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32
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Steinmetzger K, Shen Z, Riedel H, Rupp A. Auditory cortex activity measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) appears to be susceptible to masking by cortical blood stealing. Hear Res 2020; 396:108069. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2020.108069] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/05/2020] [Revised: 08/24/2020] [Accepted: 08/31/2020] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
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Mushtaq F, Wiggins IM, Kitterick PT, Anderson CA, Hartley DEH. The Benefit of Cross-Modal Reorganization on Speech Perception in Pediatric Cochlear Implant Recipients Revealed Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Front Hum Neurosci 2020; 14:308. [PMID: 32922273 PMCID: PMC7457128 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2020.00308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/15/2020] [Accepted: 07/13/2020] [Indexed: 01/01/2023] Open
Abstract
Cochlear implants (CIs) are the most successful treatment for severe-to-profound deafness in children. However, speech outcomes with a CI often lag behind those of normally-hearing children. Some authors have attributed these deficits to the takeover of the auditory temporal cortex by vision following deafness, which has prompted some clinicians to discourage the rehabilitation of pediatric CI recipients using visual speech. We studied this cross-modal activity in the temporal cortex, along with responses to auditory speech and non-speech stimuli, in experienced CI users and normally-hearing controls of school-age, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy. Strikingly, CI users displayed significantly greater cortical responses to visual speech, compared with controls. Importantly, in the same regions, the processing of auditory speech, compared with non-speech stimuli, did not significantly differ between the groups. This suggests that visual and auditory speech are processed synergistically in the temporal cortex of children with CIs, and they should be encouraged, rather than discouraged, to use visual speech.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizah Mushtaq
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pádraig T. Kitterick
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Carly A. Anderson
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas E. H. Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Novi SL, Forero EJ, Rubianes Silva JAI, de Souza NGSR, Martins GG, Quiroga A, Wu ST, Mesquita RC. Integration of Spatial Information Increases Reproducibility in Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:746. [PMID: 32848543 PMCID: PMC7399018 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00746] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/05/2020] [Accepted: 06/24/2020] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
As functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is developed as a neuroimaging technique and becomes an option to study a variety of populations and tasks, the reproducibility of the fNIRS signal is still subject of debate. By performing test-retest protocols over different functional tasks, several studies agree that the fNIRS signal is reproducible over group analysis, but the inter-subject and within-subject reproducibility is poor. The high variability at the first statistical level is often attributed to global systemic physiology. In the present work, we revisited the reproducibility of the fNIRS signal during a finger-tapping task across multiple sessions on the same and different days. We expanded on previous studies by hypothesizing that the lack of spatial information of the optodes contributes to the low reproducibility in fNIRS, and we incorporated a real-time neuronavigation protocol to provide accurate cortical localization of the optodes. Our proposed approach was validated in 10 healthy volunteers, and our results suggest that the addition of neuronavigation can increase the within-subject reproducibility of the fNIRS data, particularly in the region of interest. Unlike traditional approaches to positioning the optodes, in which low intra-subject reproducibility has been found, we were able to obtain consistent and robust activation of the contralateral primary motor cortex at the intra-subject level using a neuronavigation protocol. Overall, our findings support the hypothesis that at least part of the variability in fNIRS cannot be only attributed to global systemic physiology. The use of neuronavigation to guide probe positioning, as proposed in this work, has impacts to longitudinal protocols performed with fNIRS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sergio Luiz Novi
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Edwin Johan Forero
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Jose Angel Ivan Rubianes Silva
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Nicolas Gabriel S. R. de Souza
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Giovani Grisotti Martins
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Andres Quiroga
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Shin-Ting Wu
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
- School of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
| | - Rickson C. Mesquita
- “Gleb Wataghin” Institute of Physics, University of Campinas, Campinas, Brazil
- Brazilian Institute of Neuroscience and Neurotechnology, Campinas, Brazil
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Li Y, Yang Y, Tang AC, Liu N, Wang X, Du Y, Hu W. English spoken word segmentation activates the prefrontal cortex and temporo-parietal junction in Chinese ESL learners: A functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) study. Brain Res 2020; 1733:146693. [PMID: 32006554 DOI: 10.1016/j.brainres.2020.146693] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/02/2019] [Revised: 01/21/2020] [Accepted: 01/27/2020] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
A direct measure of spoken lexical processing based on neuroimaging technology would provide us useful information to understand the neural mechanisms underlying speech or auditory language processing. The neural mechanisms of spoken word segmentation for English as a second language (ESL) learners remain elusive. The present study, using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), addresses this issue by measuring hemodynamic responses in the temporo-parietal junction (TPJ) and the prefrontal cortex (PFC) in a word-spotting task, designed with two task conditions (easy vs. difficult). Thirty participants, divided into a high listening proficiency group (HLG) and a low listening proficiency group (LLG), were tested. Results revealed significantly less TPJ activation in the HLG than in the LLG. Further analyses supported this result by showing that activation in the TPJ was in a negative correlation with listening proficiency. This association appears to be related to the more efficient use of processing resources in a bottom-up fashion for accurate and efficient sensory representations in high proficient language learners. In contrast, cortical activation in the PFC increased with listening proficiency and was stronger in the difficult task condition than in the easy task condition, implying that recruitment of top-down cognitive control functions might play a role in word segmentation. Our results suggest that the combination of the functions mediated via bottom-up sensory input processing (demonstrated in the TPJ activation) and top-down cognitive processing (demonstrated in the PFC activation) are crucial for ESL listeners' spoken word segmentation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yadan Li
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Yilong Yang
- Research Center for Linguistics and Applied Linguistics, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an, China; School of English Studies, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an, China; Key Laboratory for Artificial Intelligence and Cognitive Neuroscience of Language, Xi'an International Studies University, Xi'an, China.
| | - Akaysha C Tang
- The Laboratory of Neuroscience for Education, University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China; The Mind Research Network, Albuquerque, NM, USA
| | - Nian Liu
- Department of Modern Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics, University of Oklahoma, Norman, USA
| | - Xuewei Wang
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Ying Du
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China
| | - Weiping Hu
- MOE Key Laboratory of Modern Teaching Technology, Shaanxi Normal University, Xi'an, China; Shaanxi Normal University Branch, Collaborative Innovation Center of Assessment Toward Basic Education Quality at Beijing Normal University, Xi'an, China.
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Anderson CA, Wiggins IM, Kitterick PT, Hartley DEH. Pre-operative Brain Imaging Using Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Helps Predict Cochlear Implant Outcome in Deaf Adults. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2019; 20:511-528. [PMID: 31286300 PMCID: PMC6797684 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-019-00729-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 26] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2018] [Accepted: 06/13/2019] [Indexed: 11/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Currently, it is not possible to accurately predict how well a deaf individual will be able to understand speech when hearing is (re)introduced via a cochlear implant. Differences in brain organisation following deafness are thought to contribute to variability in speech understanding with a cochlear implant and may offer unique insights that could help to more reliably predict outcomes. An emerging optical neuroimaging technique, functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), was used to determine whether a pre-operative measure of brain activation could explain variability in cochlear implant (CI) outcomes and offer additional prognostic value above that provided by known clinical characteristics. Cross-modal activation to visual speech was measured in bilateral superior temporal cortex of pre- and post-lingually deaf adults before cochlear implantation. Behavioural measures of auditory speech understanding were obtained in the same individuals following 6 months of cochlear implant use. The results showed that stronger pre-operative cross-modal activation of auditory brain regions by visual speech was predictive of poorer auditory speech understanding after implantation. Further investigation suggested that this relationship may have been driven primarily by the inclusion of, and group differences between, pre- and post-lingually deaf individuals. Nonetheless, pre-operative cortical imaging provided additional prognostic value above that of influential clinical characteristics, including the age-at-onset and duration of auditory deprivation, suggesting that objectively assessing the physiological status of the brain using fNIRS imaging pre-operatively may support more accurate prediction of individual CI outcomes. Whilst activation of auditory brain regions by visual speech prior to implantation was related to the CI user's clinical history of deafness, activation to visual speech did not relate to the future ability of these brain regions to respond to auditory speech stimulation with a CI. Greater pre-operative activation of left superior temporal cortex by visual speech was associated with enhanced speechreading abilities, suggesting that visual speech processing may help to maintain left temporal lobe specialisation for language processing during periods of profound deafness.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly A Anderson
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK.
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK.
| | - Ian M Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Pádraig T Kitterick
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
| | - Douglas E H Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research (NIHR), Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Ropewalk House, 113 The Ropewalk, Nottingham, NG1 5DU, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby Road, Nottingham, NG7 2UH, UK
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Mushtaq F, Wiggins IM, Kitterick PT, Anderson CA, Hartley DEH. Evaluating time-reversed speech and signal-correlated noise as auditory baselines for isolating speech-specific processing using fNIRS. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0219927. [PMID: 31314802 PMCID: PMC6636749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0219927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/07/2019] [Accepted: 07/03/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Evidence using well-established imaging techniques, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging and electrocorticography, suggest that speech-specific cortical responses can be functionally localised by contrasting speech responses with an auditory baseline stimulus, such as time-reversed (TR) speech or signal-correlated noise (SCN). Furthermore, these studies suggest that SCN is a more effective baseline than TR speech. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a relatively novel, optically-based imaging technique with features that make it ideal for investigating speech and language function in paediatric populations. However, it is not known which baseline is best at isolating speech activation when imaging using fNIRS. We presented normal speech, TR speech and SCN in an event-related format to 25 normally-hearing children aged 6-12 years. Brain activity was measured across frontal and temporal brain areas in both cerebral hemispheres whilst children passively listened to the auditory stimuli. In all three conditions, significant activation was observed bilaterally in channels targeting superior temporal regions when stimuli were contrasted against silence. Unlike previous findings in infants, we found no significant activation in the region of interest over superior temporal cortex in school-age children when normal speech was contrasted against either TR speech or SCN. Although no statistically significant lateralisation effects were observed in the region of interest, a left-sided channel targeting posterior temporal regions showed significant activity in response to normal speech only, and was investigated further. Significantly greater activation was observed in this left posterior channel compared to the corresponding channel on the right side under the normal speech vs SCN contrast only. Our findings suggest that neither TR speech nor SCN are suitable auditory baselines for functionally isolating speech-specific processing in an experimental set up involving fNIRS with 6-12 year old children.
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Affiliation(s)
- Faizah Mushtaq
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M. Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Pádraig T. Kitterick
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Carly A. Anderson
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas E. H. Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham, United Kingdom
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queens Medical Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom
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Shoushtarian M, Weder S, Innes-Brown H, McKay CM. Assessing hearing by measuring heartbeat: The effect of sound level. PLoS One 2019; 14:e0212940. [PMID: 30817808 PMCID: PMC6394942 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0212940] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/20/2018] [Accepted: 02/12/2019] [Indexed: 11/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a non-invasive brain imaging technique that measures changes in oxygenated and de-oxygenated hemoglobin concentration and can provide a measure of brain activity. In addition to neural activity, fNIRS signals contain components that can be used to extract physiological information such as cardiac measures. Previous studies have shown changes in cardiac activity in response to different sounds. This study investigated whether cardiac responses collected using fNIRS differ for different loudness of sounds. fNIRS data were collected from 28 normal hearing participants. Cardiac response measures evoked by broadband, amplitude-modulated sounds were extracted for four sound intensities ranging from near-threshold to comfortably loud levels (15, 40, 65 and 90 dB Sound Pressure Level (SPL)). Following onset of the noise stimulus, heart rate initially decreased for sounds of 15 and 40 dB SPL, reaching a significantly lower rate at 15 dB SPL. For sounds at 65 and 90 dB SPL, increases in heart rate were seen. To quantify the timing of significant changes, inter-beat intervals were assessed. For sounds at 40 dB SPL, an immediate significant change in the first two inter-beat intervals following sound onset was found. At other levels, the most significant change appeared later (beats 3 to 5 following sound onset). In conclusion, changes in heart rate were associated with the level of sound with a clear difference in response to near-threshold sounds compared to comfortably loud sounds. These findings may be used alone or in conjunction with other measures such as fNIRS brain activity for evaluation of hearing ability.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Stefan Weder
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland
| | - Hamish Innes-Brown
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Colette M. McKay
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
- The University of Melbourne, Department of Medical Bionics, Melbourne, Australia
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Bortfeld H. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy as a tool for assessing speech and spoken language processing in pediatric and adult cochlear implant users. Dev Psychobiol 2018; 61:430-443. [PMID: 30588618 DOI: 10.1002/dev.21818] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/02/2018] [Revised: 11/04/2018] [Accepted: 11/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/11/2022]
Abstract
Much of what is known about the course of auditory learning in following cochlear implantation is based on behavioral indicators that users are able to perceive sound. Both prelingually deafened children and postlingually deafened adults who receive cochlear implants display highly variable speech and language processing outcomes, although the basis for this is poorly understood. To date, measuring neural activity within the auditory cortex of implant recipients of all ages has been challenging, primarily because the use of traditional neuroimaging techniques is limited by the implant itself. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an imaging technology that works with implant users of all ages because it is non-invasive, compatible with implant devices, and not subject to electrical artifacts. Thus, fNIRS can provide insight into processing factors that contribute to variations in spoken language outcomes in implant users, both children and adults. There are important considerations to be made when using fNIRS, particularly with children, to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio and to best identify and interpret cortical responses. This review considers these issues, recent data, and future directions for using fNIRS as a tool to understand spoken language processing in children and adults who hear through a cochlear implant.
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Affiliation(s)
- Heather Bortfeld
- Psychological Sciences, University of California, Merced, Merced, California
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40
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Lawrence RJ, Wiggins IM, Anderson CA, Davies-Thompson J, Hartley DE. Cortical correlates of speech intelligibility measured using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Hear Res 2018; 370:53-64. [DOI: 10.1016/j.heares.2018.09.005] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/29/2018] [Revised: 09/11/2018] [Accepted: 09/19/2018] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
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Basura GJ, Hu X, Juan JS, Tessier A, Kovelman I. Human central auditory plasticity: A review of functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to measure cochlear implant performance and tinnitus perception. Laryngoscope Investig Otolaryngol 2018; 3:463-472. [PMID: 30599031 PMCID: PMC6302720 DOI: 10.1002/lio2.185] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is an emerging noninvasive technology used to study cerebral cortex activity. Being virtually silent and compatible with cochlear implants has helped establish fNIRS as an important tool when investigating auditory cortex as well as cortices involved with hearing and language processing in adults and during child development. With respect to this review article, more recently, fNIRS has also been used to investigate central auditory plasticity following hearing loss and tinnitus or phantom sound perception. METHODS Here, we review the currently available literature reporting the use of fNIRS in human studies with cochlear implants and tinnitus to measure human central auditory cortical circuits. We also provide the reader with detailed reviews of the technology and traditional recording paradigms/methods used in these auditory-based studies. RESULTS The purpose of this review article is to summarize theoretical advancements in our understanding of the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying auditory processes and their plasticity through fNIRS research of human auditory performance with cochlear implantation and plasticity that may contribute to the central percepts of tinnitus. CONCLUSION fNIRS is an emerging noninvasive brain imaging technology that has wide reaching application that can be applied to human studies involving cochlear implants and tinnitus. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE N/A.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gregory J. Basura
- Center for Human Growth and DevelopmentUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganU.S.A
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research InstituteUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganU.S.A
| | - Xiao‐Su Hu
- Center for Human Growth and DevelopmentUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganU.S.A
| | - Juan San Juan
- Department of Otolaryngology/Head and Neck Surgery, Kresge Hearing Research InstituteUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganU.S.A
| | | | - Ioulia Kovelman
- Center for Human Growth and DevelopmentUniversity of MichiganAnn ArborMichiganU.S.A
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Herold F, Wiegel P, Scholkmann F, Müller NG. Applications of Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Neuroimaging in Exercise⁻Cognition Science: A Systematic, Methodology-Focused Review. J Clin Med 2018; 7:E466. [PMID: 30469482 PMCID: PMC6306799 DOI: 10.3390/jcm7120466] [Citation(s) in RCA: 214] [Impact Index Per Article: 35.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/24/2018] [Revised: 11/09/2018] [Accepted: 11/15/2018] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
For cognitive processes to function well, it is essential that the brain is optimally supplied with oxygen and blood. In recent years, evidence has emerged suggesting that cerebral oxygenation and hemodynamics can be modified with physical activity. To better understand the relationship between cerebral oxygenation/hemodynamics, physical activity, and cognition, the application of state-of-the art neuroimaging tools is essential. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is such a neuroimaging tool especially suitable to investigate the effects of physical activity/exercises on cerebral oxygenation and hemodynamics due to its capability to quantify changes in the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin (oxyHb) and deoxygenated hemoglobin (deoxyHb) non-invasively in the human brain. However, currently there is no clear standardized procedure regarding the application, data processing, and data analysis of fNIRS, and there is a large heterogeneity regarding how fNIRS is applied in the field of exercise⁻cognition science. Therefore, this review aims to summarize the current methodological knowledge about fNIRS application in studies measuring the cortical hemodynamic responses during cognitive testing (i) prior and after different physical activities interventions, and (ii) in cross-sectional studies accounting for the physical fitness level of their participants. Based on the review of the methodology of 35 as relevant considered publications, we outline recommendations for future fNIRS studies in the field of exercise⁻cognition science.
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Affiliation(s)
- Fabian Herold
- Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
| | - Patrick Wiegel
- Department of Sport Science, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79117, Germany.
- Bernstein Center Freiburg, University of Freiburg, Freiburg 79104, Germany.
| | - Felix Scholkmann
- Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Department of Neonatology, University Hospital Zurich, University of Zürich, Zürich 8091, Switzerland.
| | - Notger G Müller
- Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
- Center for Behavioral Brain Sciences (CBBS), Magdeburg 39118, Germany.
- Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Otto von Guericke University, Magdeburg 39120, Germany.
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43
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de Roever I, Bale G, Mitra S, Meek J, Robertson NJ, Tachtsidis I. Investigation of the Pattern of the Hemodynamic Response as Measured by Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Studies in Newborns, Less Than a Month Old: A Systematic Review. Front Hum Neurosci 2018; 12:371. [PMID: 30333736 PMCID: PMC6176492 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2018.00371] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2018] [Accepted: 08/29/2018] [Indexed: 01/03/2023] Open
Abstract
It has been 20 years since functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was first used to investigate the evoked hemodynamic response to a stimulus in newborns. The hemodynamic response to functional activation is well-established in adults, with an observed increase in concentration change of oxygenated hemoglobin (Δ[HbO2]) and decrease in deoxygenated hemoglobin (Δ[HHb]). However, functional studies in newborns have revealed a mixed response, particularly with Δ[HHb] where an inconsistent change in direction is observed. The reason for this heterogeneity is unknown, with potential explanations arising from differing physiology in the developing brain, or differences in instrumentation or methodology. The aim of this review is to collate the findings from studies that have employed fNIRS to monitor cerebral hemodynamics in term newborn infants aged 1 day-1 month. A total of 46 eligible studies were identified; some studies investigated more than one stimulus type, resulting in a total of 51 reported results. The NIRS parameters reported varied across studies with 50/51 cases reporting Δ[HbO2], 39/51 reporting Δ[HHb], and 13/51 reporting total hemoglobin concentration Δ[HbT] (Δ[HbO2] + Δ[HHb]). However, of the 39 cases reporting Δ[HHb] in graphs or tables, only 24 studies explicitly discussed the response (i.e., direction of change) of this variable. In the studies where the fNIRS responses were discussed, 46/51 cases observed an increase in Δ[HbO2], 7/51 observed an increase or varied Δ[HHb], and 2/51 reported a varied or negative Δ[HbT]. An increase in Δ[HbO2] and decrease or no change in Δ[HHb] was observed in 15 studies. By reviewing this body of literature, we have identified that the majority of research articles reported an increase in Δ[HbO2] across various functional tasks and did not report the response of Δ[HHb]. Confirming the normal, healthy hemodynamic response in newborns will allow identification of unhealthy patterns and their association to normal neurodevelopment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Isabel de Roever
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Gemma Bale
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Subhabrata Mitra
- Department of Neonatology, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Judith Meek
- Department of Neonatology, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Nicola J. Robertson
- Department of Neonatology, Institute for Women's Health, University College London, London, United Kingdom
| | - Ilias Tachtsidis
- Department of Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, University College London, London, United Kingdom
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Curtin A, Ayaz H. The Age of Neuroergonomics: Towards Ubiquitous and Continuous Measurement of Brain Function with fNIRS. JAPANESE PSYCHOLOGICAL RESEARCH 2018. [DOI: 10.1111/jpr.12227] [Citation(s) in RCA: 52] [Impact Index Per Article: 8.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Barahimi S, Einalou Z, Dadgostar M. STUDIES ON SCHIZOPHRENIA AND DEPRESSIVE DISEASES BASED ON FUNCTIONAL NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY. BIOMEDICAL ENGINEERING: APPLICATIONS, BASIS AND COMMUNICATIONS 2018. [DOI: 10.4015/s101623721830002x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
Many investigations have been carried out on functional near infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) applications in depression and schizophrenia patients that are most mysterious and costliest mental disorders in current society. fNIRS is a new optical method which assesses brain cortex hemodynamic and nervous activities non-invasively and it has been used in medicine as a study tool. Most of the researches of this approach have assessed the homodynamic response of frontal and temporal regions by means of various cognitive tasks. In this research, first, the cognitive task execution techniques have been explained concisely, and then some findings of fNIRS-based researches about depression and schizophrenia have been summarized and assessed. In fNIRS studies that have used various devices with different number of channels, the brain cortex functionality in schizophrenia and depressive patients has been investigated. The results demonstrate that a decrease in prefrontal regions activities can be observed in schizophrenia and depressive patients. Also more detailed studies illustrate ventrolateral, prefrontal and frontopolar region disorders. In severe depressive patients, a decrease in activities of prefrontal and temporal regions has been detected. Therefore, by paying attention to the deficiencies in these regions’ functions, it is possible to treat these diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shekoufe Barahimi
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Zahra Einalou
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, North Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
| | - Mehrdad Dadgostar
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, Central Tehran Branch, Islamic Azad University, Tehran, Iran
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Mazzoni A, Grove R, Eapen V, Lenroot RK, Bruggemann J. The promise of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in autism research: What do we know and where do we go? Soc Neurosci 2018; 14:505-518. [PMID: 29985114 DOI: 10.1080/17470919.2018.1497701] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/22/2022]
Abstract
Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a neuroimaging technique that has been gaining increasing interest as a method to investigate the brain function of individuals on the autism spectrum. It is a non-invasive, portable and relatively motion-tolerant method of measuring haemodynamic activity in the brain. fNIRS can be particularly effective for quantifying brain function in challenging clinical populations. In light of this, there is a growing body of fNIRS literature focusing on individuals on the autism spectrum. The aim of this review is to evaluate and summarise key studies from the literature and discuss their implications for the field. Potential limitations of the fNIRS approach and resolution of these issues based on emerging fNIRS research are also discussed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Amanda Mazzoni
- a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.,b Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
| | - Rachel Grove
- a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.,b Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
| | - Valsamma Eapen
- a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.,b Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC) , Brisbane , Queensland , Australia
| | - Rhoshel K Lenroot
- a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.,c Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of New Mexico , Albuquerque , New Mexico , USA.,d Neuroscience Research Australia , Sydney , Australia
| | - Jason Bruggemann
- a School of Psychiatry, University of New South Wales , Sydney , Australia.,d Neuroscience Research Australia , Sydney , Australia
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Weder S, Zhou X, Shoushtarian M, Innes-Brown H, McKay C. Cortical Processing Related to Intensity of a Modulated Noise Stimulus-a Functional Near-Infrared Study. J Assoc Res Otolaryngol 2018; 19:273-286. [PMID: 29633049 PMCID: PMC5962476 DOI: 10.1007/s10162-018-0661-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2017] [Accepted: 02/19/2018] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Sound intensity is a key feature of auditory signals. A profound understanding of cortical processing of this feature is therefore highly desirable. This study investigates whether cortical functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) signals reflect sound intensity changes and where on the brain cortex maximal intensity-dependent activations are located. The fNIRS technique is particularly suitable for this kind of hearing study, as it runs silently. Twenty-three normal hearing subjects were included and actively participated in a counterbalanced block design task. Four intensity levels of a modulated noise stimulus with long-term spectrum and modulation characteristics similar to speech were applied, evenly spaced from 15 to 90 dB SPL. Signals from auditory processing cortical fields were derived from a montage of 16 optodes on each side of the head. Results showed that fNIRS responses originating from auditory processing areas are highly dependent on sound intensity level: higher stimulation levels led to higher concentration changes. Caudal and rostral channels showed different waveform morphologies, reflecting specific cortical signal processing of the stimulus. Channels overlying the supramarginal and caudal superior temporal gyrus evoked a phasic response, whereas channels over Broca's area showed a broad tonic pattern. This data set can serve as a foundation for future auditory fNIRS research to develop the technique as a hearing assessment tool in the normal hearing and hearing-impaired populations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stefan Weder
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Australia.
- Department of ENT, Head and Neck Surgery, Inselspital, Bern University Hospital, Bern, Switzerland.
| | - Xin Zhou
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Bionics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | | | - Hamish Innes-Brown
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Bionics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Colette McKay
- The Bionics Institute, East Melbourne, Australia
- Department of Medical Bionics, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
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48
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Rowland SC, Hartley DEH, Wiggins IM. Listening in Naturalistic Scenes: What Can Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy and Intersubject Correlation Analysis Tell Us About the Underlying Brain Activity? Trends Hear 2018; 22:2331216518804116. [PMID: 30345888 PMCID: PMC6198387 DOI: 10.1177/2331216518804116] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/07/2018] [Revised: 08/17/2018] [Accepted: 09/06/2018] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Listening to speech in the noisy conditions of everyday life can be effortful, reflecting the increased cognitive workload involved in extracting meaning from a degraded acoustic signal. Studying the underlying neural processes has the potential to provide mechanistic insight into why listening is effortful under certain conditions. In a move toward studying listening effort under ecologically relevant conditions, we used the silent and flexible neuroimaging technique functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to examine brain activity during attentive listening to speech in naturalistic scenes. Thirty normally hearing participants listened to a series of narratives continuously varying in acoustic difficulty while undergoing fNIRS imaging. Participants then listened to another set of closely matched narratives and rated perceived effort and intelligibility for each scene. As expected, self-reported effort generally increased with worsening signal-to-noise ratio. After controlling for better-ear signal-to-noise ratio, perceived effort was greater in scenes that contained competing speech than in those that did not, potentially reflecting an additional cognitive cost of overcoming informational masking. We analyzed the fNIRS data using intersubject correlation, a data-driven approach suitable for analyzing data collected under naturalistic conditions. Significant intersubject correlation was seen in the bilateral auditory cortices and in a range of channels across the prefrontal cortex. The involvement of prefrontal regions is consistent with the notion that higher order cognitive processes are engaged during attentive listening to speech in complex real-world conditions. However, further research is needed to elucidate the relationship between perceived listening effort and activity in these extended cortical networks.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen C. Rowland
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
| | - Douglas E. H. Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
- Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
- Nottingham University Hospitals NHS Trust, Queens Medical Centre, UK
| | - Ian M. Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, UK
- Hearing Sciences, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
- Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, UK
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49
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Zhang M, Mary Ying YL, Ihlefeld A. Spatial Release From Informational Masking: Evidence From Functional Near Infrared Spectroscopy. Trends Hear 2018; 22:2331216518817464. [PMID: 30558491 PMCID: PMC6299332 DOI: 10.1177/2331216518817464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/28/2018] [Revised: 10/31/2018] [Accepted: 11/13/2018] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Informational masking (IM) can greatly reduce speech intelligibility, but the neural mechanisms underlying IM are not understood. Binaural differences between target and masker can improve speech perception. In general, improvement in masked speech intelligibility due to provision of spatial cues is called spatial release from masking. Here, we focused on an aspect of spatial release from masking, specifically, the role of spatial attention. We hypothesized that in a situation with IM background sound (a) attention to speech recruits lateral frontal cortex (LFCx) and (b) LFCx activity varies with direction of spatial attention. Using functional near infrared spectroscopy, we assessed LFCx activity bilaterally in normal-hearing listeners. In Experiment 1, two talkers were simultaneously presented. Listeners either attended to the target talker (speech task) or they listened passively to an unintelligible, scrambled version of the acoustic mixture (control task). Target and masker differed in pitch and interaural time difference (ITD). Relative to the passive control, LFCx activity increased during attentive listening. Experiment 2 measured how LFCx activity varied with ITD, by testing listeners on the speech task in Experiment 1, except that talkers either were spatially separated by ITD or colocated. Results show that directing of auditory attention activates LFCx bilaterally. Moreover, right LFCx is recruited more strongly in the spatially separated as compared with colocated configurations. Findings hint that LFCx function contributes to spatial release from masking in situations with IM.
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Affiliation(s)
- Min Zhang
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
- Graduate School of Biomedical Sciences, Rutgers University, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Yu-Lan Mary Ying
- Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Antje Ihlefeld
- Department of Biomedical Engineering, New Jersey Institute of Technology, Newark, NJ, USA
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50
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Anderson CA, Wiggins IM, Kitterick PT, Hartley DEH. Adaptive benefit of cross-modal plasticity following cochlear implantation in deaf adults. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 2017; 114:10256-10261. [PMID: 28808014 PMCID: PMC5617272 DOI: 10.1073/pnas.1704785114] [Citation(s) in RCA: 69] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/18/2022] Open
Abstract
It has been suggested that visual language is maladaptive for hearing restoration with a cochlear implant (CI) due to cross-modal recruitment of auditory brain regions. Rehabilitative guidelines therefore discourage the use of visual language. However, neuroscientific understanding of cross-modal plasticity following cochlear implantation has been restricted due to incompatibility between established neuroimaging techniques and the surgically implanted electronic and magnetic components of the CI. As a solution to this problem, here we used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), a noninvasive optical neuroimaging method that is fully compatible with a CI and safe for repeated testing. The aim of this study was to examine cross-modal activation of auditory brain regions by visual speech from before to after implantation and its relation to CI success. Using fNIRS, we examined activation of superior temporal cortex to visual speech in the same profoundly deaf adults both before and 6 mo after implantation. Patients' ability to understand auditory speech with their CI was also measured following 6 mo of CI use. Contrary to existing theory, the results demonstrate that increased cross-modal activation of auditory brain regions by visual speech from before to after implantation is associated with better speech understanding with a CI. Furthermore, activation of auditory cortex by visual and auditory speech developed in synchrony after implantation. Together these findings suggest that cross-modal plasticity by visual speech does not exert previously assumed maladaptive effects on CI success, but instead provides adaptive benefits to the restoration of hearing after implantation through an audiovisual mechanism.
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Affiliation(s)
- Carly A Anderson
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom;
- Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Ian M Wiggins
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom
- Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
| | - Pádraig T Kitterick
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom
- Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
| | - Douglas E H Hartley
- National Institute for Health Research Nottingham Biomedical Research Centre, Nottingham NG1 5DU, United Kingdom
- Otology and Hearing Group, Division of Clinical Neuroscience, School of Medicine, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
- Medical Research Council Institute of Hearing Research, University of Nottingham, Nottingham NG7 2RD, United Kingdom
- Nottingham University Hospitals National Health Service Trust, Nottingham NG7 2UH, United Kingdom
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