Studying brain function with near-infrared spectroscopy concurrently with electroencephalography

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) has been used for functional brain imaging by employing properly designed source-detector matrices. We demonstrate that by embedding a NIRS source-detector matrix within an electroencephalography (EEG) standard multi-channel cap, we can perform functional brain mapping of hemodynamic response and neuronal response simultaneously. In this study, the P300 endogenous evoked response was generated in human subjects using an auditory odd-ball paradigm while concurrently monitoring the hemodynamic response both spatially and temporally with NIRS. The electrical measurements showed the localization of evoked potential P300, which appeared around 320 ms after the odd-ball stimulus. The NIRS measurements demonstrate a hemodynamic change in the fronto-temporal cortex a few seconds after the appearance of P300.