Table 1.
Examples of information that could be included in an fNIRS preregistration.
| Form fields | Examples of the types of information to include |
|---|---|
| Study setup | |
| fNIRS hardware | The fNIRS system used, the source–detector layout relative to the 10–20 system, and sizes of caps available |
| fNIRS software | Data acquisition software and presentation software |
| Study design details | Is this a block, event-related, or resting state study? |
| Paradigm details | The stimuli set, length of stimuli, and number of trials |
| Metadata that will be collected | Will head circumference measurements, hair color, or head shape be documented? |
| Auxiliary measurements | Will short channel or accelerometer data be recorded? |
| Cap placement | How are caps placed on a participant’s head (e.g., in reference to fiducial markers)? How is cap placement recorded (e.g., pictures, 3D scanners, video recordings, etc.)? |
| Lab environment | Information regarding the lab setup [e.g., the size of the screen, the lights in the room, who is in the room during the recordings, and objects in the room (e.g., toys for an infant to hold)] |
| Incidentals that could impact the hemodynamic signal | Documentation about specific contingency plans (e.g., infants are allowed to breastfeed if they are fussy, or experimenters will blow bubbles) |
| Data processing | |
| Behavioral coding | The types of behaviors which will be excluded from the time frame (e.g., experimental interference) |
| Channel exclusion | The channel exclusion parameters (e.g., detection of heart rate signal, etc.) |
| Motion detection correction and rejection | The parameters for motion detection and approach to motion correction [spline, wavelet, targeted principal component analysis (TPCA), prewhitening, etc.] |
| Modeling function for the hemodynamic response | GLM or block average? Will auxiliary regressors be used? |
| Chromophore(s) of interest | Note, it is suggested that all studies report effects for both oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin |
| Exclusion criteria for a trial | The maximum amount of motion and the minimum amount of looking time needed to be included |
| Exclusion criteria for a participant | The number of usable trials that are needed per condition |
| Data analysis | |
| Regions of interest | A description of probe layout and which channels will be used |
| Statistical analysis methods | The types of statistical methods used (e.g., functional channel of interest, multivariate pattern analysis, functional connectivity network computation, general linear mixed models, etc.) |