EEG-fNIRS Package

INCLUDES: NIRX NIRSPORT2, MBRAINTRAIN SMARTING PRO X 

The EEG-fNIRS Package integrates two state-of-the-art systems for advanced neurophysiological recordings and is custom designed to fit your research needs. 

Integrated Solutions: 

• EEG System: The mBrainTrain Smarting PRO X is a mobile EEG device with combined reliability, portability, and advanced functionalities. The compact and simplistic design of the Smarting PRO X makes it an ideal solution for a wide range of research modalities and allows for seamless integration with other hardware, such as fNIRS. 

• fNIRS System: The NIRx NIRSport2 system is a fNIRS solution designed for researchers requiring high signal quality, modular expandability, and real-time data acquisition. With its flexible configuration and lightweight, wearable design, the NIRSport2 enables seamless neuroimaging in a wide range of applications, including EEG integration. 

EEG System – Smarting PRO X

The Smarting PRO X is a mobile, high-performance EEG system that balances reliability with portability. Its compact, lightweight design makes it ideal for laboratory and real-world paradigms, while enabling seamless hardware integration with fNIRS systems.

Key features include:

• Real-time preview and recording of raw EEG data on PC and Android devices

• Built-in Artefact Subspace Reconstruction (ASR) for automatic removal of motion and muscle artefacts

• Smarting Streamer software for complete acquisition control, with pre-configured settings to reduce setup errors

• SD card recording for offline streaming, secure on-device backup, and ultra-high sampling rates

• NFC-enabled fast device switching in multi-system lab environments

• Support for Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) and TTL inputs with millisecond precision

• Custom-designed EEG cap configured to your required channel count while accommodating fNIRS optodes

fNIRS System – NIRSport2

The NIRx NIRSport2 is a modular, wearable fNIRS system engineered for researchers who require exceptional signal quality and real-time acquisition capabilities. Its lightweight, untethered design supports naturalistic movement and ecologically valid research paradigms.

Key features include:

• Advanced optode technology for high signal-to-noise hemodynamic measurements

• Fully configurable layout for small-scale or multi-participant studies, to match the demands of diverse study designs

• Wireless, lightweight design enabling unrestricted participant movement

• Real-time data capture and processing for adaptive paradigms and brain computer interface applications

• Seamless integration capability options, including physiological integration with NIRxWINGS2

• Intuitive interface with live visualisation and powerful processing tools for streamlined data exp

EEG-fNIRS in Practice

Simultaneous EEG and fNIRS acquisition can unlock new avenues in both cognitive and clinical neuroscience research. While integration requires careful workflow design, recent advances in hardware and synchronisation make multimodal studies more accessible and powerful than ever before.

Applications in Cognitive & Clinical Neuroscience:

Researchers are increasingly adopting EEG-fNIRS combinations with the understanding that:

• EEG provides detailed timing of neural events

• fNIRS delivers spatially informative hemodynamic responses

• Together, the two provide a richer, fuller picture of brain activity

• Shared signal characteristics and artefact profiles streamline preprocessing and increase reliability

EEG-fNIRS Concerns and Solutions: 

Combining two complex neuroscience methods allows for innovative and exciting research. However, as with other integrations, combining EEG with fNIRS comes with some technical concerns that are important to consider when designing experiments. Luckily, this EEG-fNIRS package was compiled with these concerns in mind: 

• Concern: Both EEG and fNIRS measure brain signals from the cortex via the scalp, which seems physically impossible using a single cap  

• Solution: We work with you to create a custom EEG-fNIRS cap, which can contain up to 64 electrodes configured to your liking with additional slots allowing you to configure your fNIRS optodes however you choose. Our team will discuss this with you to determine which configuration will work best for your specific research needs. 

• Concern: It will be difficult to sync the EEG data, fNIRS data, and experiment task events for analyses. 

• Solution: Both the NIRSport2 fNIRS device and the Smarting PRO X EEG devices support Lab Streaming Layer (LSL) input markers, which allows users to seamlessly send event markers to both data files simultaneously.