Optically pumped magnetoencephalography in epilepsy
Umesh Vivekananda, Stephanie Mellor, Tim M. Tierney, Niall Holmes, Elena Boto, James Leggett, Gillian Roberts, Ryan M. Hill, Vladimir Litvak, Matthew J. Brookes, Richard Bowtell, Gareth R. Barnes, Matthew C. Walker
Abstract
We demonstrate the first use of Optically Pumped Magnetoencephalography (OP-MEG) in an epilepsy patient with unrestricted head movement. Current clinical MEG uses a traditional SQUID system, where sensors are cryogenically cooled and housed in a helmet in which the patient's head is fixed. Here, we use a different type of sensor (OPM), which operates at room temperature and can be placed directly on the patient's scalp, permitting free head movement. We performed OP-MEG recording in a patient with refractory focal epilepsy. OP-MEG-identified analogous interictal activity to scalp EEG, and source localized this activity to an appropriate brain region.