A scoping review of fNIRS studies of language processing in neurotypical adults

A review of 89 studies to systematically characterize the use of fNIRS in studies of language processing in neurotypical adults. Specifically, we aim to
(1) survey the range of language domains and tasks that have been examined with fNIRS;
(2) summarize common methodological practices, including experimental paradigms, cortical regions of interest, and analytic techniques;
(3) synthesize the key findings, including consistent activation patterns, evidence for lateralization, and domain-specific effects; and
(4) identify research gaps and future directions, such as underexplored aspects of language, technological challenges, and opportunities for integration with other neuroimaging modalities.
In doing so, this review offers a reference resource for researchers interested in leveraging fNIRS to advance our understanding of language in the healthy adult brain.