Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41743815›Full record

SynthesisFrontiers in neuroergonomics2026

Reviewing digital collaborative interactions with multimodal hyperscanning through an ever-growing database.

Anna Vorreuther, Anne-Marie Brouwer, Mathias Vukelić

Abstract readSystematic Review
In one paragraph

Synthesis in Frontiers in neuroergonomics, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

3 authors.

Anna VorreutherApplied Neurocognitive Systems, Institute of Human Factors and Technology Management IAT, University of Stuttgart, Stuttgart, Germany.
Anne-Marie BrouwerArtificial Intelligence, Donders Centre for Brain, Cognition and Behavior, Radboud University, Nijmegen, Netherlands.
Mathias VukelićApplied Neurocognitive Systems, Fraunhofer-Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, Stuttgart, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Introduction: Digital technologies now mediate a substantial proportion of human collaboration, reshaping how individuals coordinate attention, share information, and jointly act on goals. These digitally mediated interactions engage neural, physiological, and behavioral processes differently compared to face-to-face settings. Mobile hyperscanning, i.e., simultaneous (neuro-)physiological measures of two or more individuals, offers a unique window into these multidimensional dynamics. Yet, the existing literature is highly fragmented in design, modality, and analytic rigor, making it difficult to accumulate knowledge. This review systematically synthesizes hyperscanning research investigating collaboration involving digital components and identifies key methodological and conceptual gaps that must be addressed to advance the field. Methods: We searched Scopus, PubMed, and Web of Science (April 2025) for mobile hyperscanning studies on digital collaboration. Forty-five eligible studies involving simultaneous measurements of at least two healthy adults engaged in collaborative tasks with a digital interaction component were included. Studies were categorized across 13 dimensions, including modality, task design, interaction type, analysis method, and cognitive domain. To ensure transparency and support cumulative synthesis, we created a continuously updated online resource ("InterBrainDB"). Results: Most studies relied on unimodal neuroimaging, predominantly electroencephalography (EEG) or functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS), with only seven studies implementing multimodal combinations. Study designs favored cooperative tasks or naturalistic scenarios with symmetrical roles, typically using same-sex dyads of unfamiliar individuals. Non-verbal interaction was studied slightly more often than verbal. Analytically, functional connectivity dominated, whereas effective connectivity, multimodal fusion, and machine learning were scarcely used. Executive and social cognition were more frequently investigated than creativity, memory, and language. Discussion: Research on digital collaboration through hyperscanning is growing, yet progress is limited by methodological heterogeneity, narrow use of modalities, and analytical conservatism. Future advances will require: (1) multimodal integration to fully capture neural, physiological, and behavioral dynamics; (2) systematic comparisons across varying degrees of digitalization to understand how technology shapes interaction; (3) physiology-informed analysis frameworks capable of modeling high-dimensional interpersonal dynamics; and (4) clearer reporting standards to enable reproducibility and large-scale synthesis. Resources like our InterBrainDB can structure a community-driven progress toward ecologically grounded models of digitally mediated collaboration, a domain of increasing scientific and societal relevance.

Indexed as

collaborationdatabasedigitalizationelectroencephalographyeye-trackingfunctional near-infrared spectroscopyhyperscanningreview

Identifiers

PMID41743815
PMCPMC12929548

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.