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Updated: Apr 23, 2026

Author Spotlight: Unlocking New Insights in fNIRS Studies - A Novel Framework for Inter-Brain Synchrony Analysis
Published on: October 6, 2023
Can spurious indications for phase synchronization due to superimposed signals be avoided?
Stephan Porz1, Matthäus Kiel1, Klaus Lehnertz1
1Department of Epileptology, University of Bonn, Sigmund-Freud-Str. 25, 53105 Bonn, Germany.
Abstract:
We investigate the relative merit of phase-based methods-mean phase coherence, unweighted and weighted phase lag index-for estimating the strength of interactions between dynamical systems from empirical time series which are affected by common sources and noise. By numerically analyzing the interaction dynamics of coupled model systems, we compare these methods to each other with respect to their ability to distinguish between different levels of coupling for various simulated experimental situations. We complement our numerical studies by investigating consistency and temporal variations of the strength of interactions within and between brain regions using intracranial electroencephalographic recordings from an epilepsy patient. Our findings indicate that the unweighted and weighted phase lag index are less prone to the influence of common sources but that this advantage may lead to constrictions limiting the applicability of these methods.
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