Basic NeuroscienceUnleashing the future potential of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in brain sciences

- Wireless fNIRS provides significant advantages over other neuroimaging techniques.
- fNIRS-BCI and hybrid BCI systems will be used for neurofeedback and neurorehabilitation.
- These emerging trends in fNIRS technology must be supported by cognitive neuroscientists.

The wondrous innovations bound to the introduction of functional near-infrared spectroscopy in cognitive neuroscience are characterized by a multifaceted nature, ranging from technological improvements to sophisticated signal processing methods; the outstanding progress enabled scientists to investigate a variety of hard-to-test clinical populations and to successfully employ optical imaging in fields that were almost unimaginable twenty years ago.Here we illustrate how the emerging use of fNIRS methodologies might represent a drawing power in a variety of challenging experimental and medical contexts; we expect in the near future a wide increase of the use of wireless fNIRS, especially in children and in particular clinical populations, as well as a striking progress of fNIRS-BCI and hybrid BCI systems for neurofeedback and neurorehabilitation. These emerging trends might dramatically foster the future potential of fNIRS in brain sciences, provided that they are properly supported by a significant progress in signal processing and cognitive neuroscience.