The fNIRS glossary project: a consensus-based resource for functional near-infrared spectroscopy terminology
Neurophotonics, vol. 12, pp. 1–18
Abstract
Significance: A shared understanding of terminology is essential for clear scientific communication and minimizing misconceptions. This is particularly challenging in rapidly expanding, interdisciplinary domains that utilize functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), where researchers come from diverse backgrounds and apply their expertise in fields such as engineering, neuroscience, and psychology. Aim: The fNIRS Glossary Project was established to develop a community-sourced glossary covering key fNIRS terms, including those related to the continuous-wave (CW), frequency-domain (FD), and time-domain (TD) NIRS techniques. Approach: The glossary was collaboratively developed by a diverse group of 76 fNIRS researchers, representing a wide range of career stages (from PhD students to experts) and disciplines. This collaborative process, structured across five phases, ensured the glossary's depth and comprehensiveness. Results: The glossary features over 300 terms categorized into six key domains: analysis, experimental design, hardware, neuroscience, mathematics, and physics. It also includes abbreviations, symbols, synonyms, references, alternative definitions, and figures where relevant. Conclusions: The fNIRS glossary provides a community-sourced resource that facilitates education and effective scientific communication within the fNIRS community and related fields. By lowering barriers to learning and engaging with fNIRS, the glossary is poised to benefit a broad spectrum of researchers, including those with limited access to educational resources.
Authors 73
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Chemnitz University of Technology
Affiliation as printed
Technische Univ. Chemnitz
Chemnitz University of Technology, Institute of Human Movement Science and Health, Faculty of Behavioural and Social Sciences, Chemnitz, Germany
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Birkbeck, University of London
Affiliation as printed
Birkbeck, Univ. of London
Birkbeck, University of London, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Science, London, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Boston Univ
Boston University, Neurophotonics Center, Biomedical Engineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. degli Studi di Padova
University of Padua, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua, Italy
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Institute of Photonic Sciences · Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
Affiliation as printed
ICFO - Institut de Ciències Fotòniques
ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
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Universitätsklinikum Tübingen · University of Tübingen
Affiliation as printed
Universitätsklinikum Tübingen
University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tuebingen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. degli Studi di Padova
University of Padua, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua, Italy
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Univ. degli Studi dell'Aquila
University of L’Aquila, Department of Life, Health and Environmental Sciences, L’Aquila, Italy
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University of Zurich · University Hospital Zurich
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UniversitätsSpital Zürich
University Hospital Zurich, University of Zurich, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Department of Neonatology, Neurophotonics and Biosignal Processing Research Group, Zurich, Switzerland
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. College London
University College London, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, London, United Kingdom
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Affiliation as printed
Politecnico di Milano
Politecnico di Milano, Dipartimento di Fisica, Milan, Italy
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Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt · Federal Institute For Materials Research and Testing
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Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt
Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt (PTB), Berlin, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
Univ. of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States
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Harvard University · Massachusetts General Hospital · Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging
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Massachusetts General Hospital
Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Charlestown, Massachusetts, United States
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Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, School of Computer Science, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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Northeastern Univ
Northeastern University, Department of Bioengineering, Boston, Massachusetts, United States
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Tufts Univ
Tufts University, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Science & Technology Center, Medford, Massachusetts, United States
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Hamamatsu University · Hamamatsu University School of Medicine
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Hamamatsu Univ. School of Medicine
Hamamatsu University School of Medicine, Institute of Photonics Medicine, Division of Research and Development in Photonics Technology, Hamamatsu, Japan
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Beijing Normal University · State Key Laboratory of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning
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Beijing Normal Univ
Beijing Normal University, State Key Lab of Cognitive Neuroscience and Learning, FNIRS Brain Imaging Group, Beijing, China
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Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences
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Max-Planck-Institut für Kognitions- und Neurowissenschaften
Max Planck Institute for Human Cognitive and Brain Sciences, Leipzig, Germany
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Oldenburger Institut für Informatik
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OFFIS e.V
OFFIS—Institute for Information Technology, Health Department, Biomedical Devices and Systems Group, Oldenburg, Germany
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Eberhard Karls Univ. Tübingen
University of Tuebingen, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science, Tuebingen, Germany
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Washington University in St. Louis
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Washington Univ. in St. Louis
Washington University School of Medicine, Mallinckrodt Institute of Radiology, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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Universitätsklinikum Tübingen · University of Tübingen
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Universitätsklinikum Tübingen
University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tuebingen, Germany
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Affiliation as printed
NIRx Medical Technologies, LLC
NIRx Medizintechnik GmbH, Berlin, Germany
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Liverpool John Moores University
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Liverpool John Moores Univ
Liverpool John Moores University, School of Sport and Exercise Sciences, Faculty of Science, Liverpool, United Kingdom
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University College London · Birkbeck, University of London
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Univ. College London
Birkbeck, University of London, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Science, London, United Kingdom
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The University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center
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The Univ. of Texas Southwestern Medical Ctr. at Dallas
University of Texas Southwestern, Departments of Anesthesiology and Pain Management, Neurology, Biomedical Engineering, Dallas, Texas, United States
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Maria Curie-Skłodowska University
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Maria Curie-Sklodowska Univ
University of Marie Curie-Sklodowska, Neuroeducation Research Lab, Faculty of Pedagogy, Lublin, Poland
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Syracuse Univ
Syracuse University, Neural Health Research Laboratory, Syracuse, New York, United States
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Lancaster Univ
Lancaster University, Department of Psychology, Faculty of Science and Technology, Lancaster, United Kingdom
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Eberhard Karls Univ. Tübingen
University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tuebingen, Germany
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TOBB University of Economics and Technology
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TOBB ETÜ
TOBB University of Economics and Technology, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Ankara, Turkey
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Univ. of Birmingham
University of Birmingham, Psychology, Birmingham, United Kingdom
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University of British Columbia
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The Univ. of British Columbia
University of British Columbia, Psychology Department, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
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Ruhr-Univ. Bochum
Ruhr University Bochum, Developmental Psychology, Faculty of Psychology, Bochum, Germany
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Univ. of Houston
University of Houston, Department of Biomedical Engineering, Houston, Texas, United States
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Univ. of Oxford
University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division, Department of Experimental Psychology, Oxford, United Kingdom
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Durham Univ
Durham University, Department of Psychology, Durham, United Kingdom
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Univ. degli Studi di Padova
University of Padua, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua, Italy
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Forschungszentrum Jülich · Jülich Aachen Research Alliance
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Jülich Research Ctr
JARA Brain Institute II, Jülich Research Centre, Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging (INM-11), Jülich, Germany
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Univ. Catholique de Louvain
Université Catholique de Louvain (UCLouvain), Institute of Neuroscience (IoNS), Brussels, Belgium
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Autonomous University of San Luis Potosí · Secretaría de Ciencia, Humanidades, Tecnología e Innovación
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Univ. Autónoma de San Luis Potosí
CONAHCYT-Universidad Autónoma de San Luis Potosí, CIACYT, San Luis Potosí, Mexico, United States
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Univ. College London
University College London, Institute of Cognitive Neuroscience, London, United Kingdom
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Stanford Medicine · Stanford University
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Stanford Univ. School of Medicine
Stanford University, Computational Brain Research and Intervention (C-BRAIN) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, California, United States
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
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Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Department of Rehabilitation and Human Performance, New York, United States
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Mercer University · Mercer University Health Sciences Center
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Mercer Univ
Mercer University, Psychology, Macon, Georgia, United States
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Eberhard Karls Univ. Tübingen
University of Tuebingen, Tuebingen Center for Mental Health (TüCMH), Department of Psychiatry and Psychotherapy, Tuebingen, Germany
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Saint Louis Univ
Saint Louis University, Department of Physical Therapy and Athletic Training, St. Louis, Missouri, United States
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Maastricht Univ
Maastricht University, Department of Cognitive Neuroscience, Faculty of Psychology and Neuroscience, Maastricht, The Netherlands
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University of Florida, College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Gainesville, Florida, United States
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RWTH Aachen Univ
RWTH Aachen University, Medical School, Department of Psychiatry, Psychotherapy and Psychosomatics, Aachen, Germany
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Washington State Univ
Washington State University, Department of Psychology, Pullman, Washington, United States
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The Univ. of Auckland
University of Auckland, School of Psychology, Auckland, New Zealand
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Otto-von-Guericke-Universität Magdeburg
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Otto-von-Guericke Univ
Otto-von-Guericke University, Institute of Biology, Department of Cognitive Biology, Magdeburg, Germany
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University of Campania "Luigi Vanvitelli"
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Univ. degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli
University of Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Department of Psychology, Caserta, Italy
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Monash Univ
Monash University, Department of Electrical and Computer Systems Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Clayton, Victoria, Australia
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University College London · Birkbeck, University of London
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Univ. College London
Birkbeck, University of London, School of Psychological Sciences, Faculty of Science, London, United Kingdom
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Stanford Univ
Stanford University, Computational Brain Research and Intervention (C-BRAIN) Lab, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Palo Alto, California, United States
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RWTH Aachen Univ
RWTH Aachen University, Child Neuropsychology Section, Department of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry, Psychosomatics and Psychotherapy, Aachen, Germany
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Yale Univ
Yale University, School of Medicine, Child Study Center, New Haven, Connecticut, United States
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Friedrich Schiller University Jena
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Friedrich-Schiller-Univ. Jena
Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Department for the Psychology of Human Movement and Sport, Faculty of Social and Behavioural Sciences, Jena, Germany
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Univ. degli Studi di Padova
University of Padua, Department of Developmental Psychology and Socialisation, Padua, Italy
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Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH
Hörzentrum Oldenburg gGmbH, Oldenburg, Germany
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Univ. College London
University College London, Biomedical Optics Research Laboratory, Medical Physics and Biomedical Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, London, United Kingdom
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Université de Montpellier · IMT Mines Alès · EuroMov Digital Health in Motion
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Univ. de Montpellier
Univ Montpellier, IMT Mines d’Alès, EuroMov Digital Health in Motion, Montpellier, France
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Institute of Photonic Sciences · Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology
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ICFO - Institut de Ciències Fotòniques
ICFO-Institut de Ciències Fotòniques, The Barcelona Institute of Science and Technology, Barcelona, Spain
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The University of Texas at Austin
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The Univ. of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin, Department of Kinesiology and Health Education, Austin, Texas, United States
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Shahid Beheshti University · Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences
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Shahid Beheshti Univ. of Medical Sciences
Shahid Beheshti University of Medical Sciences, School of Medicine, Department of Biomedical Engineering and Medical Physics, Tehran, Iran
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