Description
Broadly speaking there are two families of neuroscientific methods: correlational and causal methods. fNIRS (functional near infrared spectroscopy) belongs to the correlational methods and with it researchers are able to see which areas in the cortex are involved in certain cognitive processes (e.g., the prefrontal cortex being important for interference control or working memory).tDCS (transcranial direct current stimulation) is a non-invasive brain stimulation method and can causally influence activity in a certain cortical area (e.g., parts of the prefrontal cortex to enhance working memory).
In the BMS lab we have the capabilities to do both fNIRS and tDCS potentially with a single cap, thus potentially simplifying the study procedure significantly. The goal for this internship is for the student to familiarize themselves with both methods (under guidance) and evaluate the potential of setting up a combined tDCS-fNIRS-Study.
This project is for a student interested in fundamental human neuroscience and cognition. The project will be carried out in collaboration with the BMS Lab directly. Thus this is a feasibility study and the precursor to a more complex research using the technology. Previous experience with either tDCS or fNIRS is not required but desirable.
Information
If you are interested in this topic, please contact Iris van Sintemaartensdijk via i.vansintemaartensdijk@utwente.nl. This assignment is open for multiple students.
Literature
· Figeys, M., Zeeman, M., & Kim, E. S. (2021). Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) on cognitive performance and cerebral oxygen hemodynamics: a systematic review. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 15, 623315.
· Lu, H., Gong, Y., Huang, P., Zhang, Y., Guo, Z., Zhu, X., & You, X. (2021). Effect of repeated anodal HD-tDCS on executive functions: evidence from a pilot and single-blinded fNIRS study. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 14, 583730.
· Hernández-Sauret, A., Garcia-Castro, G., & Redolar-Ripoll, D. E. (2026). Dissociating the Role of Dorsolateral Prefrontal Cortex and Ventrolateral Prefrontal Cortex in Cognitive Control in Depression: A Combined HD-tDCS and fNIRS Study. Brain Topography, 39(1), 2.
· Lu, H., Cheng, C., Xu, K., Pan, T., Guo, L., Zhang, Y., & Jin, Y. (2025). Enhancing response inhibition through a novel tES-fNIRS framework. Scientific Reports, 15(1), 40011.
· Patel, R., Dawidziuk, A., Darzi, A., Singh, H., & Leff, D. R. (2020). Systematic review of combined functional near-infrared spectroscopy and transcranial direct-current stimulation studies. Neurophotonics, 7(2), 020901-020901.
· McKendrick, R., Falcone, B., Scheldrup, M., & Ayaz, H. (2020). Effects of transcranial direct current stimulation on baseline and slope of prefrontal cortex hemodynamics during a spatial working memory task. Frontiers in human neuroscience, 14, 64.