Quantum sensors enable brain measurements during movement

Understanding what happens in the brain during an epileptic seizure, after stroke-related paralysis, or in people with Parkinson’s disease has long been challenging. Traditional brain imaging methods required patients to remain still, limiting the analysis of movement-related brain activity. Optical Pumped Magnetoencephalography (OPMEG) now allows brain measurements while the person being examined is moving. According to a press release from the University of Bonn, this technology is being implemented in a dedicated research infrastructure at the University Hospital Bonn (UKB).

Prof. Dominik Bach, Hertz Chair for Artificial Intelligence and Neuroscience at the University of Bonn, is setting up the OPMEG facility on the UKB campus. The project will receive almost four million euros in funding over three years from the EFRE/JTF program of the European Union and the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia.

The OPMEG infrastructure will be located in the basement of the Life & Brain building at the University Hospital Bonn. When brain cells are active, they generate tiny electrical currents that create magnetic fields. These magnetic signals are recorded using a helmet equipped with highly sensitive sensors. Measurements take place inside a magnetically shielded booth to minimize interference from external magnetic fields, such as the Earth’s magnetic field.

“In contrast to conventional imaging methods such as magnetic resonance imaging or traditional magnetoencephalography, the patient can move during the scan,” says Prof. Dominik Bach. “It also delivers much more precise measurements compared to EEG.”

OPMEG makes it possible to measure brain activity during both involuntary and intentional movements. This is particularly relevant for examining people with epilepsy or Parkinson’s disease, whose movements cannot always be controlled.

To support these studies, Prof. Bach and his team have developed OPMEGcompatible virtual reality glasses that allow real environments to be recreated in virtual reality. Researchers analyze characteristic brain rhythms associated with movement, behavior, and decision-making.

A typical examination lasts up to 90 minutes. The test person wears the measurement helmet and additional sensors, such as heart rate or motion sensors, depending on the study design. Game-based tasks are used to activate specific brain regions, while participants are free to move and take seated breaks during the measurement.

“OPMEG allows us to combine brain imaging with behavioral and motion studies,” says Bach. “This was either not previously possible or only possible with a far lower data quality.” Further applications include the study of mild traumatic brain injuries, stroke recovery, and the development of braincomputer interfaces.

COMPAMED-tradefair.com; Source: University of Bonn