Test–retest reliability of functional near infrared spectroscopy during tasks of inhibitory control and working memory

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) has become a well-established tool for neuroscience research and been suggested as a potential biomarker during clinical assessment in individuals with mental disorders. Biomarker need to be objective indications of biological processes which can be measured accurately and reproducibly. Despite various applications in clinical research, test-retest reliability of the fNIRS signal has not yet been evaluated sufficiently. To assess reliability of the fNIRS signal during tasks of executive functions, a group of 34 healthy subjects (13 male, 21 female) were tested twice for inhibitory control and working memory. On a group level results show a specific activation pattern throughout the two sessions, reflecting a task-related frontal network associated with the assessed cognitive functions. On the individual level the retest reliability of the activation patterns were considerably lower and differed strongly between participants. In conclusion, the interpretation of fNIRS signal on a single subject level is partially hampered by its low reliability. More studies are needed to optimize the retest reliability of fNIRS and to be applied on a routine basis in developmental research.