Zugriffsnummer 54652
Dokumenttyp Zeitschriftenartikel Open Access Gold
Peer Review mit Peer Review
Sprache Englisch
Titel Optimization of OPM-MEG layouts with a limited number of sensors
Autor(in); Institution
Marhl, U.; Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Hren, R.; Syreon Research Institute, Budapest, HUNGARY
Sander-Thömmes, Tilmann; 8.2, Biosignale, PTB-Berlin
Jazbinšek, V.; Institute of Mathematics, Physics and Mechanics, Ljubljana, SLOVENIA
Quelle/Jahr Sensors: 25 (2025), 9, 1 - 24
Artikelnummer 2706
Availability [online only]
ISSN 1424-8220 (online)
DOI
URL
Verlag Basel: MDPI AG
Freie Schlagworte magnetoencephalography ; optically pumped magnetometers ; sensor optimization ; sequential selection algorithm ; auditory-evoked fields ; minimum norm estimation ; magnetic field maps
Zusammenfassung Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that measures weak magnetic fields generated by neural electrical activity in the brain. Traditional MEG systems use superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) sensors, which require cryogenic cooling and employ a dense array of sensors to capture magnetic field maps (MFMs) around the head. Recent advancements have introduced optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) as a promising alternative. Unlike SQUIDs, OPMs do not require cooling and can be placed closer to regions of interest (ROIs). This study aims to optimize the layout of OPM-MEG sensors, maximizing information capture with a limited number of sensors. We applied a sequential selection algorithm (SSA), originally developed for body surface potential mapping in electrocardiography, which requires a large database of full-head MFMs. While modern OPM-MEG systems offer full-head coverage, expected future clinical use will benefit from simplified procedures, where handling a lower number of sensors is easier and more efficient. To explore this, we converted full-head SQUID-MEG measurements of auditory-evoked fields (AEFs) into OPM-MEG layouts with 80 sensor sites. System conversion was done by calculating a current distribution on the brain surface using minimum norm estimation (MNE). We evaluated the SSA’s performance under different protocols, for example, using measurements of single or combined OPM components. We assessed the quality of estimated MFMs using metrics, such as the correlation coefficient (CC), root-mean-square error, and relative error. Additionally, we performed source localization for the highest auditory response (M100) by fitting equivalent current dipoles. Our results show that the first 15 to 20 optimally selected sensors (CC > 0.95, localization error < 1 mm) capture most of the information contained in full-head MFMs. Our main finding is that for event-related fields, such as AEFs, which primarily originate from focal sources, a significantly smaller number of sensors than currently used in conventional MEG systems is sufficient to extract relevant information.
Kostenfreier Zugang Open Access Gold
Rechteinformation CC BY 4.0 ; Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License
Themenbereich der Metrologie Metrologie in der Medizin
Förderinformationen (1) Förderername: Slovenian Research and Innovation Agency

Zitierung

Marhl, U., Hren, R., Sander-Thömmes, T., & Jazbinšek, V. (2025). Optimization of OPM-MEG layouts with a limited number of sensors. Sensors, 25(9), 1–24. https://doi.org/10.3390/s25092706

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