Seminars in Hearing Research 

Date:   March 6, 2025

Place:  Nelson 1215

Time:   Noon - 1:00 pm

Speaker:  Victoria Sinfield.  Master's Student, BME   

            

Title: Optimizing fNIRS for enhanced cognitive load analysis through multidimensional noise correction

Abstract: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a valuable tool for studying cognitive processes, offering a non-invasive way to measure hemodynamic responses during naturalistic tasks. However, systemic physiological noise presents a challenge for test-retest reliability, particularly in auditory research, making it critical to establish robust pre-processing strategies to ensure that observed neural signals accurately reflect cognitive activity. To address this, we conducted a multidimensional test-retest reliability analysis, comparing six noise correction approaches across ten sessions of a passive auditory task in a single participant, ultimately identifying key factors that influence both reliability and signal accuracy. While regression of systemic and extra-cerebral signals reduced reliability metrics, it provided a more accurate depiction of neural activity by mitigating confounding noise. Notably, certain correction methods may prove more appropriate and effective for active cognitive tasks, where systemic responses interact more dynamically with task demands. With these insights, we applied a suitable correction approach to an independent experiment focused on determining the effects of auditory cognitive load on sentence recognition, allowing us to examine task-related hemodynamic responses while ensuring signal consistency and accuracy. This work highlights the importance of optimizing fNIRS pre-processing strategies to enhance the validity of cognitive research, ultimately improving the interpretability and reproducibility of neural measures in complex tasks that reflect real-world scenarios.

This year’s SHRP schedule is available here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_schedule

Titles and abstracts of all SHRP talks are here: https://purdue.edu/TPAN/hearing/shrp_abstracts