A potential method for ambulatory wearables to evaluate the central autonomic network: simultaneous measurement of prefrontal fNIRS and high frequency heart rate variability (Conference Presentation)

Simultaneous prefrontal activation and heart rate variability can be collected in healthy adults to examine their relationship using functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) and electrocardiogram (ECG). The present study replicates previous findings in functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) using fNIRS, which creates the potential for simultaneous ambulatory measurement of neural and cardiovascular variables. Collecting such measures during physical activity will assess questions regarding a potential cardiovascular-linked mechanism for exercise-induced neural plasticity in future studies.