Neurotechnology for sensing the brain out of the lab: methods and applications for mobile functional neuroimaging

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Background

Neuroergonomics is an emerging field that investigates the human brain in relation to behavior in natural environments and everyday settings for brain health and performance research and applications. Neuroergonomics aims to expand our understanding of the neural mechanisms underlying human perceptual, cognitive, and motor functioning with a focus on real-world contexts.

This research topic is open to all relevant submissions and will also include select submissions from the 2022 joint meeting of Neuroergonomics Conference and NYC Neuromodulation Conference, hosted at City College of New York, New York City, and is linked with the Research Topic Neurotechnology for brain-body performance and health: Insights from the 2022 Neuroergonomics and NYC Neuromodulation Conference. The 2022 Neuroergonomics and NYC Neuromodulation Conferences are joined together to address the state-of-the-art and future directions in neurotechnology in the wild. Neurotechnology represented at the conference spans extremes. From critical care, to well- being, to the brain in every-day life. From revolutionary invasive devices, to targeted non-invasive approaches, to wearables. From boosting the performance of athlete, surgeons, artists, first responders, to service members. From brain-to-brain interfaces, to mixed/virtual reality, to social media.

With the advent of portable and wearable neuroimaging methods like electroencephalography (EEG), functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), and neurostimulation approaches like transcranial direct- current stimulation (tDCS), significant progress has been made in recording and altering brain activity on- the-fly without restricting body movements and without limiting research to laboratory environments. As a result, these neurotechnologies are now expanding in the clinical field (assistive technologies, motor rehabilitation, etc.), spreading to the entertainment industry to enhance gaming experience, but also extending to the general public through wellbeing (e.g., meditation and relaxation induction, sleep improvement) and domotics (e.g., home automation) applications. Following this trend, the range of neuroergonomics applications that can benefit from neurotechnology broadens. Indeed, they have the potential to alleviate mental and physical loads associated with the repetition of straining actions to improve task performance both in terms of its precision and speed, and to promote new forms of interactions to enhance human-technology symbiosis in a variety of applications.

This Research Topic calls for submissions that cover recent approaches and emerging new directions in the development of neurotechnology out-of-the lab and attempt to chart a path toward a better understanding of the neurophysiological measures and improvement of human performance. Submissions can be any article type covering advanced neuroscience methods, neuroimaging analysis approaches as well advanced AI and signal processing techniques to decode brain dynamics in actively behaving participants in field settings. Application of these technologies to investigate cognition, emotion, perception, decision making, attention, working memory, cognitive workload, performance monitoring, human-machine-interaction, brain computer interface, mobile brain and body imaging, neuroadaptive technologies and related areas relevant to working environments and health are especially invited.

Keywords: Applied Neuroscience, Human Machine Interaction, Neuroergonomics, Functional Neuroimaging and Neurostimulation, Brain Computer Interface

Important note: All contributions to this Research Topic must be within the scope of the section and journal to which they are submitted, as defined in their mission statements. Frontiers reserves the right to guide an out-of-scope manuscript to a more suitable section or journal at any stage of peer review.

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