SignificanceA shared understanding of terminology is essential for clear scientific communication and minimizing misconceptions. This is particularly challenging in rapidly expanding, interdisciplinary domains that utilize functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), where researchers come from diverse backgrounds and apply their expertise in fields such as engineering, neuroscience, and psychology.AimThe fNIRS Glossary Project was established to develop a community-sourced glossary covering key fNIRS terms, including those related to the continuous-wave (CW), frequency-domain (FD), and time-domain (TD) NIRS techniques.ApproachThe glossary was collaboratively developed by a diverse group of 76 fNIRS researchers, representing a wide range of career stages (from PhD students to experts) and disciplines. This collaborative process, structured across five phases, ensured the glossary’s depth and comprehensiveness.ResultsThe glossary features over 300 terms categorized into six key domains: analysis, experimental design, hardware, neuroscience, mathematics, and physics. It also includes abbreviations, symbols, synonyms, references, alternative definitions, and figures where relevant.ConclusionsThe fNIRS glossary provides a community-sourced resource that facilitates education and effective scientific communication within the fNIRS community and related fields. By lowering barriers to learning and engaging with fNIRS, the glossary is poised to benefit a broad spectrum of researchers, including those with limited access to educational resources.

As of 2023, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media regularly. This study investigates the immediate impact of social media consumption on executive functioning (EF) and emotion in college students using a wearable, naturalistic functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) system. Twenty participants completed EF tasks and self-report questionnaires both before and after a brief social media exposure. Over half (55%) met criteria for social media addiction, with an average Instagram usage of five hours per week. Behaviorally, social media exposure led to reduced accuracy in EF tasks, including n-back and Go/No-Go paradigms. Neurally, increased medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activation suggested greater cognitive effort and performance monitoring, while decreased dorsolateral (dlPFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activation reflected impairments in working memory and inhibition. Reduced inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activity was also linked to difficulties suppressing motor responses. Emotional changes were modest, with the control group reporting slightly lower happiness post-intervention. These findings demonstrate the cognitive cost of social media use and underscore the potential of wearable fNIRS for real-world brain monitoring. This approach may inform future interventions and support precision mental health strategies targeting digital behavior.

As of 2023, 69% of adults and 81% of teens in the U.S. use social media. This study explores the immediate effects of social media consumption on executive functioning (EF) and emotion in college students, using a wearable fNIRS system to monitor brain activity in a naturalistic setting. Twenty participants were assessed pre- and post-social media use through EF tasks and emotion questionnaires. Results revealed 55% of participants were classified as addicted, with an average Instagram usage of 5 hours per week. Following social media exposure, significant impairments were observed in tasks like n-back and Go/No-Go, alongside altered brain activity. Specifically, increased medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) activity indicated heightened cognitive effort and performance monitoring, while decreased dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (dlPFC) and ventrolateral prefrontal cortex (vlPFC) activity were associated with impaired working memory and response inhibition. Inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) activity reductions correlated with difficulties in inhibiting motor responses to No-Go stimuli. Emotional changes were minimal, except for reduced happiness in the control group. These findings highlight the negative impact of social media on EF, emphasizing the need for interventions promoting healthier digital habits.

Procedures used to elicit both behavioral and neurophysiological data to address a particular cognitive question can impact the nature of the data collected. We used functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to assess performance of a modified finger tapping task in which participants performed synchronized or syncopated tapping relative to a metronomic tone. Both versions of the tapping task included a pacing phase (tapping with the tone) followed by a continuation phase (tapping without the tone). Both behavioral and brain-based findings revealed two distinct timing mechanisms underlying the two forms of tapping. Here we investigate the impact of an additional—and extremely subtle—manipulation of the study’s experimental design. We measured responses in 23 healthy adults as they performed the two versions of the finger-tapping tasks either blocked by tapping type or alternating from one to the other type during the course of the experiment. As in our previous study, behavioral tapping indices and cortical hemodynamics were monitored, allowing us to compare results across the two study designs. Consistent with previous findings, results reflected distinct, context-dependent parameters of the tapping. Moreover, our results demonstrated a significant impact of study design on rhythmic entrainment in the presence/absence of auditory stimuli. Tapping accuracy and hemodynamic responsivity collectively indicate that the block design context is preferable for studying action-based timing behavior.

We proposed a personalized intervention that integrates computerized working memory (WM) training with real-time functional neuromonitoring and neurofeedback (NFB) to enhance frontoparietal activity and improve cognitive and clinical outcomes in children with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The study involved 77 children with ADHD aged 7–11 years, who were assigned to either 12 sessions of NFB or treatment-as-usual (i.e., received standard clinical care) groups. Real-time neuromonitoring with functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and fMRI measured frontoparietal activity during n-back task at baseline and post-intervention. Thirty-six participants (21 NFB, 15 treatment-as-usual) completed the study. Significant improvements in NFB group were observed in frontoparietal brain activity and WM performance (primary outcomes). NFB group also showed improvements in Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF-2) WM t-scores and Conners 3 ADHD index scores (secondary outcomes) compared to treatment-as-usual group. These findings suggest that neuromonitoring-guided NFB effectively enhances cognitive and clinical outcomes in children with ADHD by targeting brain mechanisms underlying WM deficits.