More advanced and cheaper to run, the OPM-MEG brain scanner is one of only 14 in the world and the only one in Ireland.
A new quantum wearable brain scanner has just arrived at Trinity College Dublin, touted to be a “gamechanger” for researchers attempting to identify the earliest signs of life-changing conditions such as epilepsy, dementia and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
The wearable, called the Optically Pumped Magnetometers Magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG), uses quantum technology to track brain networks in real time as they respond to different cognitive demands.
One of only 14 such machines in the world and the first in Ireland, the OPM-MEG system is housed in a shielded room in Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience (TCIN), which eliminates external magnetic fields.
Unlike other brain scanning techniques such as MRI where participants are required to lie motionless while a machine scans their brain, the OPM-MEG uses a lightweight and adaptable helmet which allows participants to sit or even move around a room.
This makes it possible to study brain activity while doing more typical tasks during the day or scan children and people with brain disorders.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a neuroimaging technique that measures brain activity by detecting magnetic fields produced by electrical currents in the brain. The system allows scientists to construct 3D images showing changes in brain activity that occur through time.
However, conventional MEG scanners are large, heavy and do not allow for participant movement. They are also expensive to maintain due to their need for cryogenic cooling.
The new OPM-MEG system, however, is worn like a helmet. It can adapt to any head size and allows participants to move freely during a scan. It also offers higher sensitivity and better spatial precision and does not require cooling, making it cheaper to run as well.
The OPM-MEG scanner is “the most important breakthrough in human brain imaging in the last two decades”, said Prof Redmond O’Connell, director of the new MEG facility at Trinity.
“The new OPM-MEG system here in Trinity will provide scientists with unique information about the timing and location of brain activity which will deepen our understanding of how the brain works and advance our understanding of the origins of brain disorders. It’s a gamechanger for researchers working on brain disorders and wider research on the human brain,” O’Connell said.
For now, the scanner is only available for research use, but it is hoped that it will become available as a clinical diagnostic tool to improve treatment outcomes for patients. A team of scientists from Trinity, Beaumont Hospital and the National Children’s Hospital are working to have the OPM-MEG system recognised as a diagnostic and presurgical mapping tool by the HSE.
“The launch of the new MEG facility is a major milestone for Trinity College Institute of Neuroscience, which is this year celebrating its 25th birthday,” said Prof Sinéad Ryan, Trinity’s dean of research.
“TCIN has long been at the forefront of brain imaging research internationally and its role in pioneering new techniques and technologies continues with its early adoption of OPM-MEG.
“This exciting new tool will further enhance TCIN’s mission to advance our knowledge of the human brain and mind, contributing to our university’s strategic commitment to intensify our research,” Ryan added.
“The MEG scanning system will allow brain researchers in Trinity and Ireland to continue to push the frontiers of cognitive neuroscience and apply this knowledge to improve the quality of human health and welfare.”
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