New Framework for Understanding Cross-Brain Coherence in Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) Hyperscanning...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Cognitive Science
• Biomedical Engineering

Background:

• Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning studies are increasing.
• Current wavelet transform coherence (WTC) methods for neural signal coupling lack directionality assessment.
• Distinguishing between in-phase, lagged, and anti-phase synchronization is crucial for understanding neural interactions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose a novel, complementary approach for analyzing phase coherence and directionality in neural signals.
• To develop a toolbox for estimating coupling directionality using WTC phase angle values.
• To enable the assessment of evolving interaction dynamics during tasks.

Main Methods:

• Utilized wavelet transform coherence (WTC) to analyze phase coherence between neural signals.
• Developed a novel WTC approach to classify phase angle values into synchronization types.
• Created a computational toolbox to implement the enhanced WTC analysis.

Main Results:

• The proposed method successfully classifies phase coherence into in-phase, lagged, and anti-phase synchronization.
• The toolbox allows for the estimation of coupling directionality in neural signals.
• The approach provides insights into the temporal dynamics of inter-brain interactions.

Conclusions:

• The novel WTC approach and associated toolbox enhance the analysis of neural signal coupling in fNIRS hyperscanning.
• This framework advances the understanding of complex social interactions by revealing synchronization directionality.
• Future research can leverage this tool to explore nuanced inter-brain dynamics.