Low-frequency oscillations measured in the periphery with near-infrared spectroscopy are strongly correlated with blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging signals.

Low-frequency oscillations (LFOs) in the range of 0.01-0.15 Hz are commonly observed in functional imaging studies, such as blood oxygen level-dependent functional magnetic resonance imaging (BOLD fMRI) and functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS). Some of these LFOs are nonneuronal and are closely related to autonomic physiological processes. In the current study, we conducted a concurrent resting-state fMRI and NIRS experiment with healthy volunteers. LFO data was collected simultaneously at peripheral sites (middle fingertip and big toes) by NIRS, and centrally in the brain by BOLD fMRI. The cross-correlations of the LFOs collected from the finger, toes, and brain were calculated. Our data show that the LFOs measured in the periphery (NIRS signals) and in the brain (BOLD fMRI) were strongly correlated with varying time delays. This demonstrates that some portion of the LFOs actually reflect systemic physiological circulatory effects. Furthermore, we demonstrated that NIRS is effective for measuring the peripheral LFOs, and that these LFOs and the temporal shifts between them are consistent in healthy participants and may serve as useful biomarkers for detecting and monitoring circulatory dysfunction.