B0175
Title: Modeling cortical brain network activity through concurrent EEG-FNIRS
Authors: Hernando Ombao - KAUST (Saudi Arabia) [presenting]
Marco Pinto - KAUST and Oslo-Met (Norway)
Abstract: Brain activity is multi-faceted. Various imaging modalities aim to probe specific aspects of brain activity. In particular, electroencephalograms (EEGs) capture electrical activity, while functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) captures cortical hemodynamic activity. Emerging technology now allows for the simultaneous collection of both signals. However, the interaction between EEG and fNIRS at a macroscopic scale is still unclear, and there is evidence that not all electrical recordings can be directly correlated to neurological activity. We will develop statistical models for joint EEG+fNIRS data, which we hope unveil a more comprehensive characterization of the inherent complex dynamics in the brain. Our proposed model for multimodal spatial-temporal brain dynamics has the potential to offer a description of the brain's self-regulating mechanisms. We will introduce some statistical spectral dependence measurements, including multimodal spectral causality and cross-frequency coupling metrics, that have the potential to contribute in distinguish between EEG components related to scalp (endothelial) vasomotion processes from neurological brain dynamics.