MEG-system with Optically Pumped Magnetometers (OPMs) (Teilfinanzierung)

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This application will request funds for the acquisition of a magnetoencephalographical (MEG) system consisting of optically pumped magnetometers (OPM) for the measurement of brain activity in clinical and non-clinical populations at Charité-Universitätsmedizin-Berlin, one of the largest university hospitals in Europe. Currently, a MEG-system is not available at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin. Accordingly, this proposal addresses a crucial gap that will critically advance research into psychiatric and neurological conditions. OPMs utilize atoms in the gas phase that serve as sensitive magnetic field probes for electric activity of the brain. OPM-sensors have rapidly developed in the past two decades and now reach sensitivities similar to MEG-systems that employ Superconducting Quantum Interference Devices (SQUIDs). Importantly, OPMs have several advantages over traditional SQUID-MEG systems since OPMs can operate at near room-temperatures without helium cooling. Moreover, OPMs can be located closer to the scalp than SQUID-sensors, resulting in improved signal-to-noise as well as facilitating measurements in pediatric and clinical populations. The goal of this application is to establish a leading OPM-MEG facility together with the German Metrology Institute (Physikalisch-Technische Bundesanstalt, PTB), which has a long-standing expertise in the development of OPM-MEG, to apply this technology for the understanding, detection and treatment of psychiatric and neurological disorders. The OPM-MEG facility will be utilized by 10 clinical and basic research groups for studies into psychiatric (psychosis, schizophrenia, autism spectrum disorders) and neurological conditions (Parkinson’s Disease, epilepsy) as well as for the development of novel OPM-sensors and research into fundamental brain processes. The state-of-the-art OPM-MEG system will consist of 96 OPM sensors that allow whole-brain coverage and the detection of neural activity in cortical and subcortical brain regions. Specifically, it is expected that the OPM-MEG facility at Charité-Universitätsmedizin Berlin will allow critical advances in the development of biomarkers for early detection and diagnosis of brain disorders as well as advance insights into circuit mechanisms and novel treatments.