A consensus guide to using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in posture and gait research

Jasmine C Menant; Inbal Maidan; Lisa Alcock; Emad Al-Yahya; Antonio Cerasa; David J Clark; Eling D de Bruin; Sarah Fraser; Vera Gramigna; Dennis Hamacher; Fabian Herold; Roee Holtzer; Meltem Izzetoglu; Shannon Lim; Annette Pantall; Paulo Pelicioni; Sue Peters; Andrea L Rosso; Rebecca St George; Samuel Stuart; Roberta Vasta; Rodrigo Vitorio; Anat Mirelman

doi:10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.09.012

A consensus guide to using functional near-infrared spectroscopy in posture and gait research

Gait Posture. 2020 Oct:82:254-265. doi: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.09.012. Epub 2020 Sep 18.

Authors

Jasmine C Menant¹, Inbal Maidan², Lisa Alcock³, Emad Al-Yahya⁴, Antonio Cerasa⁵, David J Clark⁶, Eling D de Bruin⁷, Sarah Fraser⁸, Vera Gramigna⁹, Dennis Hamacher¹⁰, Fabian Herold¹¹, Roee Holtzer¹², Meltem Izzetoglu¹³, Shannon Lim¹⁴, Annette Pantall³, Paulo Pelicioni¹⁵, Sue Peters¹⁶, Andrea L Rosso¹⁷, Rebecca St George¹⁸, Samuel Stuart¹⁹, Roberta Vasta⁹, Rodrigo Vitorio²⁰, Anat Mirelman²

Affiliations

¹ Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia. Electronic address: j.menant@neura.edu.au.
² Laboratory for Early Markers of Neurodegeneration (LEMON), Center for the Study of Movement, Cognition, and Mobility (CMCM), Neurological Institute, Tel Aviv Sourasky Medical Center, Israel; Department of Neurology, Sackler School of Medicine and Sagol School of Neuroscience, Tel Aviv University, Tel Aviv, Israel.
³ Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Campus for Ageing and Vitality, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, United Kingdom.
⁴ Department of Physiotherapy, School of Rehabilitation Sciences, The University of Jordan, Amman, Jordan; Movement Science Group, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, UK.
⁵ IRIB, National Research Council, Mangone, CS, Italy; S. Anna Institute and Research in Advanced Neurorehabilitation (RAN), Crotone, Italy.
⁶ Department of Aging and Geriatric Research, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA; Brain Rehabilitation Research Center, Malcom Randall VA Medical Center, Gainesville, FL, USA.
⁷ Institute of Human Movement Sciences and Sport, Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zürich, Zurich, Switzerland; Division of Physiotherapy, Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society, Karolinska Institute, Huddinge, Sweden.
⁸ École interdisciplinaire des sciences de la santé (Interdisciplinary School of Health sciences), University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada.
⁹ Neuroscience Research Center, "Magna Graecia" University, Catanzaro, Italy.
¹⁰ German University for Health and Sports, (DHGS), Berlin, Germany.
¹¹ Research Group Neuroprotection, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Magdeburg, Germany; Department of Neurology, Medical Faculty, Otto Von Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
¹² Yeshiva University, Ferkauf Graduate School of Psychology, The Saul R. Korey Department of Neurology, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
¹³ Villanova University, Electrical and Computer Engineering Department, Villanova, PA, USA.
¹⁴ Graduate Program in Rehabilitation Sciences, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada; Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
¹⁵ Neuroscience Research Australia, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia; School of Population Health, University of New South Wales, New South Wales, Australia.
¹⁶ Department of Physical Therapy, Faculty of Medicine, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada; Rehabilitation Research Program, Vancouver Coastal Health Research Institute, Vancouver, BC, Canada.
¹⁷ Department of Epidemiology, Graduate School of Public Health, University of Pittsburgh, Pittsburgh, USA.
¹⁸ Sensorimotor Neuroscience and Ageing Research Group, School of Psychological Sciences, College of Health and Medicine, University of Tasmania, Hobart, Australia.
¹⁹ Department of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation, Northumbria University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK.
²⁰ Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA.

PMID: 32987345
DOI: 10.1016/j.gaitpost.2020.09.012

Abstract

Background: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is increasingly used in the field of posture and gait to investigate patterns of cortical brain activation while people move freely. fNIRS methods, analysis and reporting of data vary greatly across studies which in turn can limit the replication of research, interpretation of findings and comparison across works.

Research question and methods: Considering these issues, we propose a set of practical recommendations for the conduct and reporting of fNIRS studies in posture and gait, acknowledging specific challenges related to clinical groups with posture and gait disorders.

Results: Our paper is organized around three main sections: 1) hardware set up and study protocols, 2) artefact removal and data processing and, 3) outcome measures, validity and reliability; it is supplemented with a detailed checklist.

Significance: This paper was written by a core group of members of the International Society for Posture and Gait Research and posture and gait researchers, all experienced in fNIRS research, with the intent of assisting the research community to lead innovative and impactful fNIRS studies in the field of posture and gait, whilst ensuring standardization of research.

Keywords: Balance; Functional-Near Infrared Spectroscopy; Gait; Guidelines: cerebral hemodynamics; Posture.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Consensus
Gait / physiology*
Humans
Posture / physiology*
Reproducibility of Results
Spectroscopy, Near-Infrared / methods*