Comparison between NIRS and fMRI

43 sec read

I have a friend who has been using fMRI for more than 10 years and now a professor. He heard NIRS might be a good technology to measure human brain but knew little about it. So what is the difference between NIRS and fMRI? This is probably a common question for fMRI researchers who are looking for alternative ways to do brain imaging.

So here is some side-by-side comparison between NIRS and fMRI:


NIRS

fMRI
Note
Measurement both
oxy- and
deoxy-Hb
BOLD
signal
That means you get two number per location at a time in NIRS
Temporal resolution 10Hz 0.5Hz In fMRI TR is usually 2s
Spatial resolution 30mm 2-4mm
Measurable region Only
surface
Entire
brain
Real-time application easy difficult
Real-life application easy difficult such as exercise, natural conversation etc
Hyperscanning application easy difficult
Cost Cheaper
$100-500K
Expensive
>$2M
NIRS price largely depends on the number of channels
Maintenance Cost Cheap Expensive NIRS has ~0 maintenance cost; fMRI usually requires a on-site expert
Portability Can
be
No There are some portable NIRS devices available
Signal to noise ratio lower higher
Subjects with Dental Braces and Retainers, or ear rings Safe might not be safe
Subjects with Pacemaker or metals in brain Safe unsafe



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