Baseline

Definition: Baseline (BL) refers to the participant’s physiological state at a resting or non-stimulated state recorded before performing an experimental task or perceiving stimuli. In the context of fNIRS, it reflects the neurophysiological state (e.g., brain activity) measured when the participant is at rest or not receiving any stimulation. The baseline period can refer to the resting state before an experimental task begins, but also to periods of rest before a new task block or stimulus is presented.

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References: Eddie Harmon-Jones and Jennifer S Beer. Methods in social neuroscience. Guilford Press, 2012.

Related terms: Baseline period