Direct Evidence for the Feedforward Neurovascular Coupling Mechanism in Humans During Task Onset: An EEG-fNIRS-TCD Multimodal Imaging Study

This investigation assessed the neurovascular coupling response through integrated assessments of neuronal function [electroencephalography (EEG)], microvascular oxygenation concentrations [functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)], and arterial responses [transcranial Doppler ultrasound (TCD)]. The NVC response was assessed in 113 participants (86 females, aged 19-40 years) during visual ("Where's Waldo?") and motor (finger tapping) tasks. Block-averaged, time-frequency power was computed from the EEG data, while hemodynamic response functions were obtained from the fNIRS and TCD metrics. Granger causality assessed the predictiveness between EEG-fNIRS-TCD waveforms for each participant and was converted into a percentage of individuals displaying a significant value. Linear models were computed to determine the influence of sex, concussion history, young adulthood age, cardiorespiratory fitness, and mental health/learning disabilities on NVC parameters. During the initial 10 s of task onset, unidirectional predictiveness was weak to very strong for EEG-TCD (range: 47-83%) and fNIRS-TCD (44-92%) relationships; however, very weak to weak predictiveness was seen for the E0EG-fNIRS (0-29%) relationship for both tasks. Aside from known sex-, age-, and fitness-based influences on baseline/peak hemodynamic values (<i>p</i> < 0.050), the addition of concussion history and mental health/learning disabilities had minimal influence on NVC responses (<i>p</i> > 0.050). The findings demonstrated a unidirectional feedforward mechanism from the neuronal and microvasculature to the upstream arteries during task onset.