Report
Teaser, summary, work performed and final results
Periodic Reporting for period 2 - HRMEG (HRMEG: High-resolution magnetoencephalography: Towards non-invasive corticography)
Teaser
The high-resolution magnetoencephalography (HRMEG) project aims at developing a novel, improved approach for investigating function of the human brain through high-resolution measurements of magnetic fields generated by the electric activity of the nerve cells in the brain...
Summary
The high-resolution magnetoencephalography (HRMEG) project aims at developing a novel, improved approach for investigating function of the human brain through high-resolution measurements of magnetic fields generated by the electric activity of the nerve cells in the brain. The project encompasses the development of the measurement system as well as conducting neuroscientific experiments with it.
The HRMEG approach will allow new kind of measurements of brain activity and thereby likely contribute to our understanding of human brain function, which in turn could advance the diagnostics and perhaps even the treatment of certain brain diseases.
Work performed
The first half of the project has focused on the development of the measurement system and has included optimization and construction of the sensor array, designing and constructing a subsystem for suppressing ambient magnetic interference, building a data acquisition subsystem, developing and testing means for co-registering sensor positions to structural images of the brain, and performing human brain measurements with the system to verify that the whole approach works as intended.
The main result of the first half of the project is a working HRMEG system, with which we have successfully performed human brain measurements.
Final results
The constructed system performed better than state-of-the-art MEG systems based on conventional technology: the HRMEG system yields better signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolvability of neocortical brain sources and enables the sensor array to be adapted to the head size and shape of the subject, which is particularly important when studying children.
Further improvements in the instrumentations will take place towards the end of the project and, importantly, the system will be applied to address neuroscientific questions beyond the possibilities of current non-invasive brain imaging methods.
Website & more info
More info: https://www.aalto.fi/en/department-of-neuroscience-and-biomedical-engineering/hrmeg.