The utility of near infrared spectroscopy in pediatric epilepsy

Near infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is a noninvasive neuroimaging technique that is highly suitable for pediatric populations due to its many advantages. In past decades, research on clinical applications and technical development of NIRS software and equipment has significantly increased, leading to greater use in children with epilepsy, especially for presurgical assessment. In this review, the NIRS signal and data acquisition are first described. Then, clinical applications in pediatric epilepsy, including the characterization and prediction of seizures, presurgical language mapping and epileptogenic zone localization, and detection of postsurgical cerebral reorganization are presented. Advantages and limitations of using NIRS in children with epilepsy are also discussed. Finally, potential developments and research applications for NIRS in the pediatric population with epilepsy are proposed.