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. 2023 Apr 6;44(2):188-210.
doi: 10.1055/s-0043-1766105. eCollection 2023 May.

Brightening the Study of Listening Effort with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Scoping Review

Hannah E Shatzer  1 , Frank A Russo  1
Affiliations

Brightening the Study of Listening Effort with Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy: A Scoping Review

Hannah E Shatzer et al. Semin Hear. .

Abstract

Listening effort is a long-standing area of interest in auditory cognitive neuroscience. Prior research has used multiple techniques to shed light on the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying listening during challenging conditions. Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is growing in popularity as a tool for cognitive neuroscience research, and its recent advances offer many potential advantages over other neuroimaging modalities for research related to listening effort. This review introduces the basic science of fNIRS and its uses for auditory cognitive neuroscience. We also discuss its application in recently published studies on listening effort and consider future opportunities for studying effortful listening with fNIRS. After reading this article, the learner will know how fNIRS works and summarize its uses for listening effort research. The learner will also be able to apply this knowledge toward generation of future research in this area.

Keywords: auditory cognitive neuroscience; fNIRS; listening effort.

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Conflict of interest statement

Conflict of Interest None declared.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
Illustration of the mechanics of the functional near-infrared spectroscopy signal. Near-infrared photons are emitted from the light source and travel through the layers of the head to the detectors. The channel indicating the measurement point on the cortex is indicated with C . The depth of the channel is proportional to the distance between the source and detector on the scalp ( C indicates a standard-depth channel; SSC indicates a shallower short-separation channel).
Figure 2
Figure 2
Model representation of cortical regions of interest for listening effort, including left temporal, frontal, and parietal sources.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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