Name: Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling (Video) | JoVE Journal
Uploaded: 2025-01-17T12:50:00.000+00:00
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Description: Learn fNIRS hyperscanning methods for measuring inter-brain synchrony between clients and counselors in psychological counseling. This protocol improves ecological validity while examining correlations with therapeutic outcomes.

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This research was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China (31900767), the Research Project of Shanghai Science and Technology Commission (20dz2260300), and The Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities.

fNIRS Hyperscanning Protocol to Analyze Inter-Brain Synchrony in Counseling

The authors have nothing to disclose.

In the present protocol, the specific steps of how to conduct an fNIRS hyperscanning experiment in the natural setting of psychological counseling and how to calculate the IBS between counselor and client, as well as how to determine the lead-lag patterns of IBS across the counseling are described. The detailed operation can help researchers repeat an fNIRS hyperscanning experiment and further research in open science. Some critical issues about the experiment design, experiment conducting, and data analysis are discusse...

<a href="https://app.jove.com/t/6660">This corrects</a> the article <a href="https://dx.doi.org/10.3791/67183">10.3791/67183</a>

An erratum was issued for:&#160;<a href="https://www.jove.com/t/67183">Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling</a>. The Authors section was updated.

Erratum: Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

In recent years, using hyperscanning techniques to explore shared brain activities during dyadic or group interactions has become a popular research direction. Researchers often employ electroencephalogram (EEG)1, functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)2, or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS)3 to monitor the neural and brain activities of multiple subjects simultaneously. The neuroscience metric of inter-brain synchrony (IBS)4 is thus introduced to quantify the degree of brain activity coupling between people with meticulous analysis of the phase and amplitude alignment of neural or hemodynamic signals across time5. IBS refers to the phenomenon where the brain activities of two or more individuals become aligned or synchronized during social interactions. This synchronization can occur in various forms, such as in the phase, frequency, or amplitude of brain oscillations6,7,8.
In the realm of naturalistic social interactions involving multiple participants, a vast array of research has illuminated the phenomenon of IBS, particularly in contexts as diverse as parent-child dynamics9, educator-student exchanges10, romantic partnerships11, and audience-performer engagements12. Notably, IBS exhibits heightened levels within intimate relationships such as parent-child and romantic partnerships, compared to interactions with strangers13,14, underscoring its sensitivity to the depth of emotional connection. Concurrently, this heightened IBS frequently coincides with enhanced collaboration efficiency and behavioral improvements, suggesting a functional role in facilitating positive social outcomes15.
In the context of counseling, the working alliance -- a pivotal construct closely tied to counseling efficacy16&#160;-- embodies a distinct interpersonal dynamic that gradually evolves between the counselor and client during the therapeutic process. At its essence, this alliance rests upon the fostering of profound emotional ties and the establishment of efficient collaborative frameworks17. Therefore, exploring IBS within counseling interactions provides a new perspective that enhances the understanding of the complexities and quality of these therapeutic relationships.
Counselor empathy, as perceived by the client, contributes to the development of a working alliance18. This indicates that the establishment of the working alliance may arise from the mutual understanding and corresponding neural activities between the counselor and the client. Empathy can be dissociated into two components: affective empathy and cognitive empathy. The inferior frontal gyrus (IFG) is implicated in affective empathy and is also associated with the neural processes underlying face-to-face communication19. The right temporal-parietal junction (rTPJ), an important part of the Theory of Mind network, is closely linked to cognitive empathy, particularly in understanding the mental states of others20. Consequently, early brain synchronization studies in counseling prioritized these two regions as regions of interest (ROIs) and identified IBS primarily in the rTPJ21. Subsequent research has thus focused predominantly on the rTPJ22. Studies have found that neural synchronization in the rTPJ between clients and therapists during counseling is significantly higher than in conversational contexts. There is a positive correlation between increased synchronous neural activity in the rTPJ and the strength of the therapeutic alliance21. The unique activity patterns in counseling may result from the in-depth exploration of emotional expressions and personal experiences. This suggests that IBS warrants further investigation within counseling. Additionally, the correlation between enhanced rTPJ activity and the strength of the working alliance indicates that IBS could serve as a neurobiological basis for assessing counseling relationships, offering a novel evaluation metric.
While these findings underscore the promising role of IBS in counselor-client dynamics, they also emphasize the need for further clarification regarding the direct causal link between brain synchronization, counseling effectiveness, and the working alliance. To advance this burgeoning field, developing standardized hyperscanning protocols and rigorous data analysis methodologies is paramount. By refining the methodological toolkit, it is possible to more precisely map the neural underpinnings of effective counseling, ultimately enhancing the quality of therapeutic interventions and their outcomes.
This article provides a protocol on how to conduct an fNIRS-based hyperscanning study and how to observe and analyze the IBS between the counselor-client dyads. fNIRS is a non-invasive imaging technique used to measure brain activity. It works by detecting changes in blood oxygenation and blood volume within the brain, which are indirect markers of neural activity. This is achieved by emitting near-infrared light into the brain and measuring the amount of light absorbed or scattered by the blood cells23. Thus, the hemodynamic/oxygenation activity is measured. Comparatively, fNIRS offers higher temporal resolution than fMRI, and it is less vulnerable to motion artifacts than EEG, rendering it well suited for studying social interactions in natural settings such as psychological counseling8.
This article also presents the specific steps of computing IBS via the method of wavelet transform coherence (WTC)24. WTC is an analytical technique that measures the relationship between two signals across different frequencies over time. It is beneficial for identifying areas of synchrony between brain regions or between participants in a study. It calculates the coherence between two time series by analyzing their cross-spectrum using wavelet transforms. To contextualize the importance of WTC, it is essential to first understand the foundational concepts of Wavelet Transform (WT)25, Coherence26, and how they converge in the framework of WTC27.
Wavelet Transform, a mathematical tool, excels at decomposing complex signals into their constituent time-frequency components, enabling the analysis of both localized changes in frequency over time and the overall frequency content of a signal27. This characteristic is particularly advantageous when studying neural activity, which is inherently non-stationary and exhibits dynamic changes across different frequencies. Coherence, on the other hand, quantifies the degree to which two signals share similar frequency components and phase relationships, serving as a metric of synchronization between them26. By combining these two concepts, WTC provides a powerful means to assess IBS, capturing both the temporal evolution and frequency specificity of neural coupling between individuals and providing insights into how different parts of the brain or brains interact dynamically throughout a task or stimulus24.
While the traditional WTC framework merely tests the correlation between the brain signals of different individuals, a method considering the directionality of the interaction between the counselor and client is presented here. There are different lead-lag patterns,where one signal consistently precedes variations in the other by a specific time interval, indicating a temporal relationship in IBS according to previous studies28,29. The IBS may not occur simultaneously between the counselor and the client during counseling. Thus, a comprehensive method is needed to explore the directionality of IBS. The method clarifies the role that counselors play throughout various phases of counseling (leading the IBS, in-phase IBS with the client, or led by the client).
This study proposes a detailed and implementable protocol based on the research question of whether IBS scores between counselors and clients can serve as potential biomarkers for assessing alliance quality or outcomes among clients with different adult attachment styles. The protocol outlines the utilization of fNIRS hyperscanning technology to investigate IBS between psychological counselors and clients within a counseling context. It provides comprehensive descriptions of the experimental procedures, precautions for each step, and subsequent data processing methods. It is anticipated that this protocol will offer valuable insights and guidance to future scholars interested in exploring IBS within the realm of psychological counseling.The specific protocol for data collection and processing is presented as follows.

<table><tbody><tr><td>Chinese online survey platform</td><td>Ranster Technology Company,Changsha,China</td><td>The Free version of Wenjuanxing</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>EEG cap</td><td>Compumedics Neuroscan, Charlotte,USA</td><td>64-channel Quik-Cap</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>fNIRS system</td><td>Hitachi Medical Corporation, Tokyo,Japan</td><td>ETG-7100 Optical Topography System</td><td>The NIRSport emitted and collected&lt;br/&gt; &amp;nbsp;near-infrared light at two wavelengths&lt;br/&gt; &amp;nbsp;(760 and 850 nm) at a sampling rate of 10.1725Hz.&amp;nbsp;</td></tr><tr><td>MATLAB 2018a</td><td>The MathWorks, Inc., Natick, MA</td><td>MATLAB 2018a</td><td></td></tr><tr><td>Swimming cap</td><td>Decathlon Group, Villeneuve-d&#039;Ascq,France</td><td>1681552</td><td>medium size</td></tr></tbody></table>

functional near-infrared spectroscopy hyperscanning study in psychological counseling

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning is an innovative technique that enables real-time monitoring of brain activity among multiple individuals engaged in social interactions. Researchers in this field quantify concurrent brain activities through the index of inter-brain synchrony (IBS). In psychological counseling research, the use of fNIRS to measure IBS has garnered attention for its potential to illuminate the dynamics of counselor-client interactions. Nevertheless, the field currently lacks a standardized protocol for precisely measuring IBS between counselors and clients, which would facilitate the revelation of real-time interaction patterns during counseling sessions. To address this need, this paper proposes a detailed standardized protocol, outlining the procedural steps for conducting fNIRS hyperscanning in psychological counseling settings, focusing on the acquisition of brain signals, calculation of IBS between counselors and clients, and analysis of lead-lag patterns of IBS throughout counseling sessions. Implementing this standardized fNIRS hyperscanning pipeline not only enhances the reproducibility and reliability of IBS measurements in psychological counseling research but also facilitates deeper insights into the neural mechanisms underlying working alliance. By integrating fNIRS hyperscanning into naturalistic counseling environments, researchers can advance understanding of how IBS correlates with counseling outcomes, potentially informing personalized approaches to mental health treatment.

The results showed that there was a marginally significant effect that the secure group had higher task-related WTC increments than the dismissing group (t = 2.50, adjusted p = 0.07) at channel 19 in the angular gyrus (ANG; see Figure 2). The WTC values at CH19 were selected for further analysis of IBS. As to the time lag effect in IBS, significantly higher late-stage counselor-led IBS was observed in the dismissing group (M = 0.04, SD = 0.07) compared to ...

The protocol aims to provide a detailed description of the methodology for conducting an fNIRS hyperscanning study in psychological counseling. This includes the preparations for the experiment, the procedure for collecting data, and the subsequent data analysis process.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy (fNIRS) hyperscanning is an innovative technique that enables real-time monitoring of brain activity among multiple ...

Our research focuses on developing a standardized fNIRS cerebral scanning practical for psychological counseling. The primary aim is to accurately measure the inter-brain synchrony between clients and counselors and to delve into the correlations between the synchrony, the working alliance, and counseling outcomes. The current challenges we face are limited ecological validity due to the shortened session duration and participant discomfort with wearing the fNIRS cap.Future studies should aim to create more comfortable tech and more flexible designs to overcome these issues. Our practical offers the advantage of using fNIRS, which provides higher temporal resolution than FMRI and is less susceptible to margin artifacts than EEG. This makes it particularly well-suited for studying the interactive process between clients and counselors in psychological counseling.In the future, our lab will focus on two key questions, exploring the relationship between inter-brain synchrony, working alliance, and counseling outcomes, and examining how client-counselor attachment styles affect these factors. Start the fNIRS system at least 30 minutes in advance to stabilize between five and 35 degrees Celsius. In the fNIRS system, activate the event-related measurement mode.Ensure the recording of different states can be triggered by pressing specific keys. Check parameters such as subject ID to confirm the proper configuration for fNIRS measurement. Then, insert the opto probes into the corresponding opto probe patches on the caps to connect the fNIRS caps to the system.After preparing the consent forms and the questionnaires, arrange a stopwatch to notify participants when the resting state is over. Place a clock to help the counselor monitor the counseling time limit. Keep lighted probes ready to move participants'hair aside if it blocks the signal.Then, set the laboratory to resemble a standard counseling room in a real-life scenario. Position the counselor and the client at a 90 degree angle to each other with 40 centimeters between the two chairs. Place the counselor on the right and the client on the left.Have participants read and sign the informed consent forms and complete the demographic information and the CORE-10 questionnaire to assess psychological wellbeing. Now, seat the participants. Turn on the laser to initialize the fNIRS system, then, place the fNIRS caps on the participants.Organize the optical fiber bundles neatly and place them on the arm of the chair to avoid causing discomfort. To calibrate the signals, click auto gain in the fNIRS system to check the signal quality. For poor signals, ensure the probe tips are fully seated.If necessary, use binder clips to close gaps from the caps and a lighted probe to clear hair obstructions. After obtaining the participant's consent, turn on the camera to record the counseling process. Then, verify signal quality and initiate fNIRS recording.Ask participants to rest with their eyes closed for five minutes, press a predefined key to mark the start, and use a stopwatch to time the resting period. Remind the participants to stop resting after five minutes. Press F1 again to mark the end of the resting state and recheck the signal quality.Remind the participants that the counseling session will last for 40 minutes and point out the location of the clock. Inform them they can start counseling and press F2 to mark the beginning of the counseling session. Leave the participants in the laboratory for 40 minutes to conduct the counseling session.After the experiment, knock on the laboratory door to ensure the participants have completed their conversation. Press F2 to mark the end of the experiment and end the camera recording. Assist the participants in removing the fNIRS caps, then invite the client to complete the YSR and CORE-10 questionnaires.To save the data, use a disc and click text file out to export the raw fNIRS data. Turn off the fNIRS system. Unplug the opto probes.Afterward, wipe the probes and the probe holders with ethanol. Wash the caps with mild detergent and air dry them. Significant correlations were observed between increases in no-lag inter-brain synchrony at the early and whole stages and CORE-10 score changes in the secure group.Adult attachment style significantly moderated the correlation between early stage and whole stage no lag IBS with changes in CORE-10 scores.

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JoVE Journal

Neuroscience

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Learn fNIRS hyperscanning methods for measuring inter-brain synchrony between clients and counselors in psychological counseling. This protocol improves ecological validity while examining correlations with therapeutic outcomes.

Functional Near-Infrared Spectroscopy Hyperscanning Study in Psychological Counseling

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