Investigating the Use of Optically Pumped Magnetometers in Conjunction with Electrical Impedance Tomography to Image Brain Activity

1) Brief description of the context of the research including potential impact
Currently electrical impedance tomography (EIT) has the potential to image fast neural activity using subdural electrodes. This project aims to use optically pumped magnetometers (OPMS) to measure the change in magnetic field induced when an electric field is applied to the scalp and use this information to image brain activity.

2) Aims and Objectives
-The specific objectives are to:
Computationally model the magnetic field produced from electric stimulation on the scalp.
Computationally reconstruct images of perturbations in accurate FEM models of the human head.
Perform experiments to try and image objects in saline filled tanks using the aforementioned technique.
Perform experiments on rats to try and image brain activity.
Perform experiments on humans to try and image brain activity.
Develop, design and build functioning brain imaging apparatus.



3) Novelty of Research Methodology
Use of OPMs in fast neural EIT would provide a means to image circuits in the brain non-invasively. At present, the method requires intracranial electrodes.
4) Alignment to EPSRC's strategies and research areas
Healthcare technologies : Optimising care through effective diagnosis, patient-specific prediction and evidence-based intervention. If successful, this will offer a paradigm shifting new method for imaging brain circuit activity over millseconds. This will have direct implications in the diagnosis and treatment of epilepsy and other neurological and psychiatric disease such as depression.

5) Any companies or collaborators involved

Nil direct. A UCL spinout, Cyqiq Ltd is supporting a CASE studentship for a physiologist to work also on this project in testing developed technology.