A new Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPM-MEG) brain scanner has been installed at the Oxford Centre for Human Brain Activity (OHBA), based at the Department of Psychiatry.
By measuring tiny magnetic fields generated by the activity of neurons in the brain the OPM-MEG scanner reveals which areas are active during specific tasks. It also records data millisecond-by-millisecond, meaning it can track neural oscillation (or ‘brain waves’) in real time. Unlike traditional scanners, the new system is wearable and works even if people move their heads. This makes it easier to scan participants who find it hard to stay still, such as children or those with Parkinson’s or dementia.
Professor Mark Woolrich opening the OPM MEG launch eventIt also means that researchers can incorporate full-body movement into their studies and see how this affects the brain. The OPM-MEG scanner is housed in a magnetically-shielded room equipped with cameras that use AI to track movements. The fact that the OPM-MEG allows for movement means that researchers can also conduct ‘naturalistic studies’, that more closely resemble more natural, everyday settings.
The technology was officially launched at an Open Day in the Department of Psychiatry on June 6. Director of OHBA, Professor of Computational Neuroscience Mark Woolrich, who opened the event, said:
The arrival of a wearable OPM-MEG scanner untethers us from the limits of traditional neuroimaging. We can now study more diverse participants and natural behaviours, opening the door to previously inaccessible frontiers of brain research.
The technology will be used by researchers working across the Departments of Psychiatry, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences and Experimental Psychology at Oxford.
Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Karla Miller, who is Director of the Oxford Centre for Integrative Neuroimaging in NDCN, added:
We have been wanting access to OPMs in Oxford since the first studies showed their tremendous potential to take MEG in exciting new directions. This really is a transformative technology that enables experiments that simply can’t be done with conventional MEG scanners – particularly with participants engaging in natural movements. I was tremendously excited at the launch to see the latest data in patients with Parkinson’s disease and in children.
The new OPM-MEG scanner at Oxford uses state-of-the-art technology and is one of just a handful available nationwide. It was developed in collaboration with the University of Nottingham and spin-out company Cerca Magnetics Ltd.
Chair of Translational Cognitive Neuroscience, Professor Ole Jensen, who will use the OPM-MEG technology in his research, said:
'I’m really excited about the new OPM system and the incredible opportunities it opens up. In my group, we’re developing a research line focused on understanding the neural mechanisms behind how children learn to read. The OPM system will give us a unique chance to explore these processes in ways that haven’t been possible before.'