Investigating the effect of channel pruning on functional near-infrared spectroscopy data collected from children aged 5 to 24 months.

ABSTRACT:

Significance

Infant functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) data are particularly vulnerable to noise; participant behavior can result in motion artifacts, and reduced set-up times can cause poor optode coupling. Accurate channel pruning is therefore essential, but approaches vary and often use adult-derived thresholds, risking unnecessary data loss.

Aim

We systematically compared pruning approaches and parameter choices to evaluate their effects on data quality and retention in infant fNIRS.

Approach

Data from 5 to 24-month-old infants were collected across two cohorts, using two paradigms. Channel pruning was performed using the coefficient of variation (CV) and the quality testing of near-infrared scans (QT-NIRS) tool, varying key thresholds. Multilevel model

SUBMITTER: Beaton S 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC12917770 | biostudies-literature | 2026 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature