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3-Dimensional investigation of the contribution of brain tissue deformation to fNIRS motion artifact signals
McNamee, Connor Zhou, Shibo Cluff, Kim
McNamee, Connor
Zhou, Shibo
Cluff, Kim
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2026
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McNamee, C., Zhou, S., Cluff, K., Hakansson, N. A., Walker, J. L., Harrivel, A. R., Long, D. S., & Gao, Y. 3-Dimensional investigation of the contribution of brain tissue deformation to fNIRS motion artifact signals. -- FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2026.
Abstract
It is important to investigate human brain functions not only in laboratory settings, but in the everyday world as well. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is a promising method that uses the optical absorption properties of biological tissues to assess hemoglobin levels, thereby inferring brain activation. An advantage of fNIRS is its resistance to distortion from head motion which facilitates application with motion. However, motion artifacts, or image distortion caused by substantial head motion, are still a challenge. To create more effective strategies, it is crucial to understand where artifacts originate in fNIRS data. One recognized source is displacement of the device’s emitters and detectors on the subject’s scalp. Another potential source, which has not been thoroughly explored, is the deformation of the brain tissue itself during this motion. We hypothesize that this brain deformation may alter the light path of the beams emitted by the fNIRS device, thereby introducing artifacts into the fNIRS signal. The initial portion of this project used two computational methods, finite element analysis (FEA) and Monte Carlo Simulation (MCS). A motion tracker was used to measure acceleration of the head as input into FEA models. The deformation was simulated by a 2D FEA model, and the light path changes due to the deformation were calculated by MCS. The results demonstrated that brain deformation can account for up to 40% of the motion artifacts observed in fNIRS signals. Several other factors that modulate this effect were evaluated as well. These findings indicated that brain deformation is a meaningful contributor to fNIRS motion artifacts. Therefore, to further investigate the extent of this impact, this portion of the project used a 3D FEA model to simulate the deformation of the brain. So far, the model has been created, and the deformation has been simulated, but the optical distortion has yet to be analyzed in MCS.
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Poster and abstract presented at the FYRE in STEM Showcase, 2026.
Research project completed at the Biomedical Engineering Department, Wichita State University; Department of Anesthesiology; University of Kansas School of Medicine; Ascension Via Christi Hospitals; and NASA Langley Research Center.
Research project completed at the Biomedical Engineering Department, Wichita State University; Department of Anesthesiology; University of Kansas School of Medicine; Ascension Via Christi Hospitals; and NASA Langley Research Center.
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Wichita State University
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FYRE in STEM 2026