Systematic review of fNIRS studies reveals inconsistent chromophore data reporting practices.

Significance: Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) is unique among neuroimaging techniques in its ability to estimate changes in both oxyhemoglobin (HbO) and deoxyhemoglobin (HbR). However, fNIRS research has applied various data reporting practices based on these chromophores as measures of neural activation.

Aim: To quantify the variability of fNIRS chromophore data reporting practices and to explore recent data reporting trends in the literature.