Test-retest reliability of functional near-infrared spectroscopy during a finger-tapping and postural task in healthy older adults

Abstract

Significance: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is increasingly employed in studies requiring repeated measurements, yet test-retest reliability is largely unknown.

Aim: To investigate test-retest reliability during a postural and a finger-tapping task with and without cap-removal.

Approach: Twenty healthy older adults performed a postural and a finger-tapping task. The tasks were repeated twice in one session and once the next day. A portable fNIRS system measured cortical hemodynamics (${\mathrm{HbO}}_2$) in five regions of interest for the postural task and in the hand motor region for finger-tapping.

Results: Test-retest reliability without cap-removal was excellent for the prefrontal cortex (PFC), the premotor cortex (PMC) and the somatosensory cortex (SSC) (intraclass correlation coefficient $\left(\mathrm{ICC}\right)\ge 0.78$), and fair for the frontal eye fields (FEF) and the supplementary motor area (SMA) ($\mathrm{ICC}\ge 0.48$). After cap-removal, reliability reduced for PFC and SSC ($\mathrm{ICC}\ge 0.50$), became poor for SMA ($\mathrm{ICC}=0.01$) and PMC ($\mathrm{ICC}=0.00$) and remained good for FEF ($\mathrm{ICC}=0.64$). Similarly, good reliability ($\mathrm{ICC}=0.66$) was apparent for the hand motor region without cap-removal, which deteriorated after cap-removal ($\mathrm{ICC}=0.38$).

Conclusions: Test-retest reliability of fNIRS measurements during two separate motor tasks in healthy older adults was fair to excellent when the cap remained in place. However, removing the fNIRS cap between measurements compromised reliability.

Keywords: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy; ageing; finger tapping; postural control; reliability; test-retest.