Preparing for your NIRS scan

NIRS stands for Near-Infrared Spectroscopy. You will wear a cap that has little lights on it that shine onto your head. There are also small detectors that can see how much light bounces back. Unlike the MRI where you lie down, you will be sitting at a table during NIRS, and can talk and even move around a little!

 

There are 2 parts to your NIRS session, which will take about 40 minutes in total. First, you will talk to one of our researchers about your school, family, hobbies, and more. Second, you will play a game on the computer.

 

Home Preparation

1. Special Stickers (CIBSR Biometrics Kit)

The first thing you will do when you start your NIRS session is to put on some special stickers. These tell us what your heart is doing so we can track your heartbeat!

2. The NIRS Cap

The next thing is to put on the NIRS cap. This is a lot like a swim cap, but with lights and detectors to help us see which parts of your brain you are using! We will also use chest straps to make sure the cap stays in place through the session.

 

3. Special Glasses (SMI Eye Tracking Glasses 2)

Then, you will put on special glasses that track your eye movement and pupil size! We will ask you to look at some different shapes so that we can make sure the glasses are working.

 

These 3 things will be on you for both parts of the NIRS session. Remember - although you can move around a little with the cap on, staying still will help us to be able to see what is happening in your brain better!