Studies on the spatial resolution in magnetoencephalography

Abstract

Functional neuroimaging is used in research and clinical settings to understand how the brain works when it is healthy and how to treat it when it is not. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a functional neuroimaging method that non-invasively detects brain activity via the magnetic fields generated by it. MEG samples brain activity with high temporal (<1 ms) and moderate spatial (~1 cm) resolutions. A challenge in MEG is how one defines spatial resolution; the aim of this work is therefore to determine if and how this can be done. To that end, a broad array of parameters were investigated that may affect spatial resolution in MEG. Five recent articles were used as key references to identify, understand, and interpret relevant parameters and metrics. Eight different metrics were identified that had clear and important relationships with spatial resolution, or encompassed quantities similar to spatial resolution. The parameters’ relationship to MEG and spatial resolution were then further investigated. However, because none of the metrics could be directly related to spatial resolution, a universal definition of spatial resolution in MEG was left undefined in this work.