Near-Infrared Spectroscopy for Studying Higher Cognition

Abstract

Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), which was originally designed for clinical monitoring of tissue oxygenation, has recently been receiving increasing attention as a useful tool for neuroimaging studies. This technique is completely noninvasive, does not require strict motion restriction, and can be used in a daily-life environment. It is expected that NIRS will provide a new direction for cognitive neuroscience research, more so than other neuroimaging techniques, although several problems with NIRS remain to be explored. This chapter describes the basic theory of NIRS, its potential and limitations, and the future prospects of this technique.