Abstract
The aims of this study were (1) to develop a set-up for co-registering functional near-infrared imaging (fNIRI) and electroencephalography in 15 healthy term neonates (mean gestational age 39.9 weeks, mean postnatal age 2.7 days) which underwent visual flash stimulation during sleep; (2) to optimize fNIRI sensitivity in regard to detectability of hemodynamic responses; and (3) to analyze whether oxy-hemoglobin concentration [O2Hb] rises or falls after stimulus onset. fNIRI sensitivity seems to depend mainly on luminance of the visual stimulation. The sensitivity of fNIRI is 63.6%. When hemodynamic response is detected, a rise of [O2Hb] after stimulus onset was shown in 75% and a decrease of [O2Hb] in 25%.
Biallas, M