The fNIRS Reproducibility Study Hub (FRESH): Exploring Variability and Enhancing Transparency in fNIRS Neuroimaging Research
Abstract
In neuroimaging research, efforts to enhance replication and reproducibility have increased the focus on improving transparency, particularly in the complex data analysis processes. We conducted a multi-lab collaborative study involving 38 international teams that analyzed two functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) datasets. These teams tested seven group-level and forty individual-level hypotheses, and they submitted detailed reports on their analysis pipelines and testing outcomes. The results showed significant variability in hypothesis testing outcomes due to differences in analytical approaches. There was greater consensus in group-level analyses compared to individual-level analyses. Factors such as the pruning method, hemodynamic response function model and estimation, and statistical analysis space partly account for the variability in hypothesis testing outcomes. Additionally, we have found higher similarity in hypothesis testing outcomes across the researchers who reported higher confidence in their analysis skills. This study underscores the importance of complying with best practices in fNIRS analysis methodologies and the need for standardized analysis protocols to improve reliability and credibility.
Authors 98
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Affiliation as printed
Boston University Neurophotonics Center , Boston , Massachusetts , United States
Department of Biomedical Engineering , College of Engineering , Boston University , Boston , USA
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Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP) · University of Birmingham
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Institute of Physics , University of Campinas (UNICAMP) , Campinas , Brazil
School of Computer Science , University of Birmingham , Birmingham , UK
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Department of Cognitive Neuroscience , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization , Università degli Studi di Padova , Padua , Italy
Padova Neuroscience Center , Padua , Italy
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Department of Psychology , University of Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
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American University · Technische Universität Berlin
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Department of Neuroscience , American University , Washington , DC , USA
Machine Learning Department , TU Berlin , Berlin , Germany
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John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin
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Department of Experimental Psychology , The John Paul II Catholic University of Lublin , Lublin , Poland
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique · Inserm · Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires · Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Rennes · Empenn · Université de Rennes
Affiliation as printed
CHU Rennes , Radiology Department , Rennes , France
Univ Rennes , Inria , CNRS , Inserm , IRISA UMR 6074 , Empenn ERL U1228 , Rennes , France
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HTW Berlin - University of Applied Sciences
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BEARLabs , Faculty 1 , University of Applied Sciences (HTW) Berlin , Berlin , Germany
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Liverpool John Moores University
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Research Institute for Sport and Exercise Sciences , Liverpool John Moores University , Liverpool , England
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Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization , Università degli Studi di Padova , Padua , Italy
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University of Nebraska at Omaha
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Department of Biomechanics , University of Nebraska at Omaha , Omaha , USA
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University of London · Birkbeck, University of London
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Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development , Birkbeck , University of London , London , UK
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique · Inserm · Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires · Empenn · Université de Rennes
Affiliation as printed
Univ Rennes , Inria , CNRS , Inserm , IRISA UMR 6074 , Empenn ERL U1228 , Rennes , France
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University of Nebraska at Omaha · National Chung Cheng University
Affiliation as printed
Department of Biomechanics , University of Nebraska at Omaha , Omaha , USA
Department of Psychology , National Chung Cheng University , Minhsiung , Chiayi , Taiwan
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique · Inserm · Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires · Empenn · Université de Rennes
Affiliation as printed
Univ Rennes , Inria , CNRS , Inserm , IRISA UMR 6074 , Empenn ERL U1228 , Rennes , France
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization , Università degli Studi di Padova , Padua , Italy
Padova Neuroscience Center , Padua , Italy
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Harvard University
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , USA
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Faculty of Engineering and Natural Sciences , Department of Biomedical Engineering , Acıbadem Mehmet Ali Aydınlar University , Istanbul , Turkey
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Department of Cognitive Neuroscience , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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Department of Biomedical Engineering , University of Houston , Houston , USA
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Department of Neuroscience , American University , Washington , DC , USA
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Department of Psychology , University of Montreal , Montreal , Canada
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Jülich Aachen Research Alliance · RWTH Aachen University
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Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
JARA-Brain Institute II , Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging , RWTH Aachen & Research Centre Juelich , Aachen , Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialization , Università degli Studi di Padova , Padua , Italy
Padova Neuroscience Center , Padua , Italy
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Padova Neuroscience Center , Padua , Italy
The Translational Neurorehabilitation Lab at Adi Negev Nahalat Eran , Ofakim , Israel
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University of London · Birkbeck, University of London
Affiliation as printed
Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development , Birkbeck , University of London , London , UK
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Université de Lille · Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives · UCLouvain
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Institute of Neuroscience , Université Catholique de Louvain , Brussels , Belgium
Sciences Cognitives et Sciences Affectives , University of Lille , CNRS , Lille , France
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Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí
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CIACYT , Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí , San Luis Potosí , Mexico
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Technical University of Denmark
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Department of Health Technology , Technical University of Denmark , Lyngby , Denmark
Eriksholm Research Centre , Snekkersten , Denmark
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Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Tübingen Center for Mental Health , University of Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
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Princeton University
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Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique · Institut national de recherche en sciences et technologies du numérique · Inserm · Institut de Recherche en Informatique et Systèmes Aléatoires · Empenn · Université de Rennes
Affiliation as printed
Univ Rennes , Inria , CNRS , Inserm , IRISA UMR 6074 , Empenn ERL U1228 , Rennes , France
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University of Virginia
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Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry , Western University , London , Canada
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Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
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Department of Neuropsychology , Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences , Leipzig , Germany
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School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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Department of Psychology , Western University , London , Canada
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Ben-Gurion University of the Negev
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Department of Physical Therapy , Ben-Gurion University , Beersheba , Israel
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Division of Physiotherapy , Department of Neurobiology, Care Sciences and Society , Karolinska Institutet , Stockholm , Sweden
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Department of Physics , Washington University in St. Louis , St. Louis , USA
Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , USA
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Affiliation as printed
Experimental Psychology Unit , Helmut Schmidt University/University of the Federal Armed Forces Hamburg , Hamburg , Germany
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Health and Rehabilitation Sciences Program , Faculty of Health Science , Western University , London , Canada
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Berlin Institute for the Foundations of Learning and Data · Technische Universität Berlin
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BIFOLD -Berlin Institute for Foundations of Learning and Data , Berlin , Germany
Machine Learning Department , TU Berlin , Berlin , Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Boston University Neurophotonics Center , Boston , Massachusetts , United States
Department of Biomedical Engineering , College of Engineering , Boston University , Boston , USA
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Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering , Price Faculty of Engineering , University of Manitoba , Winnipeg , Canada
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Human Hearing , The Bionics Institute , East Melbourne , Victoria , Australia
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Maastricht University · University of Coimbra
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Coimbra Institute for Biomedical Imaging and Translational Research , Institute for Nuclear Sciences Applied to Health -University of Coimbra , Coimbra , Portugal
Department of Cognitive Neuroscience , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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University of London · Birkbeck, University of London
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Centre for Brain and Cognitive Development , Birkbeck , University of London , London , UK
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Affiliation as printed
Department of Engineering Technology , University of Houston , Houston , USA
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Nanyang Technological University · RWTH Aachen University
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Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry , RWTH Aachen University , Aachen , Germany
Psychology , School of Social Sciences , Nanyang Technological University , Singapore , Republic of Singapore
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Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , Tübingen Center for Mental Health , University of Tübingen , Tübingen , Germany
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Heidelberg University · University Hospital Heidelberg · Universitätsmedizin Göttingen · University of Göttingen
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Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Hospital Heidelberg , Heidelberg , Germany
Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry and Psychotherapy , University Medical Center Göttingen , Göttingen , Germany
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , USA
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Purdue University West Lafayette
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Department of Speech, Language, and Hearing Sciences , Purdue University , West Lafayette , USA
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School of Psychological Sciences and Sagol School of Neuroscience , Tel Aviv University , Tel Aviv , Israel
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Washington University in St. Louis
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University of Johannesburg · University of Surrey
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Department of Childhood Education , Faculty of Education , University of Johannesburg , Johannesburg , South Africa
School of Psychology , University of Surrey , Guildford , UK
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Department of Cognitive Neuroscience , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology , Washington University School of Medicine , St. Louis , USA
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Chemnitz University of Technology
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Chemnitz University of Technology , Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences , Department of Human Movement Science and Health , Chemnitz , Germany
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Division of Developmental Medicine , Department of Pediatrics , Boston Children's Hospital , Boston , USA
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Chungnam National University · Korea Basic Science Institute
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Center for Bio-Imaging and Translational Research , Korea Basic Science Institute , Cheongju , Republic of Korea
Graduate School of Analytical Science and Technology , Chungnam National University , Daejeon , Republic of Korea
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Department of Psychopharmacology , Maastricht University , Maastricht , The Netherlands
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Schulich School of Medicine and Dentistry , Western University , London , Canada
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