New MEG System for Improved Quantification of Human Brain Dynamics

项目总结/摘要 奥马哈MEG工厂是世界上最具生产力、国际知名度的MEG集团之一。2018年 仅他们就在顶级期刊上发表了20多篇同行评审的出版物（例如，脑，神经学），获得 他获得了许多重大NIH奖项，并在人类神经科学的多个领域做出了具有重大影响力的发现。 MEG或脑磁图是一种先进的无创成像方法， 神经生理活动，具有高的时间（<1 ms）和空间精度（2-3 mm）。作为方法应用 在过去的十年中，由于技术进步和对神经系统的兴趣日益增长， 振荡、动态连通性以及时空精度极其重要的其他度量。的 奥马哈MEG集团在这一增长中发挥了重要作用，并继续在MEG的许多领域处于领先地位 在科学生产力和影响力的主要衡量标准上，MEG网站经常超过所有其他网站。然而，在这方面， 这个群体现在正处于一个十字路口，他们的未来增长，甚至生存，都受到氦的威胁。 短缺和计划淘汰其现有的MEG仪器。简单地说，这台仪器消耗100多 L的液氦，这不仅非常昂贵，而且在目前越来越难以获得。 氦气短缺的时代该装置可以改造为70%效率的氦气回收器，但这将是 昂贵的，只是一个局部的，临时的解决方案。除此之外，他们目前的设备已经有11年的历史了， 供应商将在2019年底停止为其型号生产更换部件。因此，即使有氦， 设备已接近使用寿命。鉴于这些关注，我们建议以 MEGIN（前身为Elekta）最先进的Triux Neo MEG系统。新系统配备有：（1） 一个几乎100%高效的氦气回收系统，（2）先进的ARMOR传感器和电子设备， 显着扩大系统的动态范围，并具有较低的固有噪声水平，（3）改善空间 精密，（4）一个两层被动和主动屏蔽室与外部环境传感器，和（5） 全新人体工程学设计和精细定位系统，提高患者舒适度并确保最佳头部效果 相对于每个参与者中的阵列的位置。因此，这一新制度是向前迈出的重要一步， Omaha MEG集团和整个领域，因为第一个Triux Neo安装最近在 美国的有了这个设备，奥马哈MEG集团将继续发展，并吸引最好的新教师 和初级科学家，并将继续在发现的前沿，在几个主要的主题领域，描述 在提案中，NIH和转化神经科学界显然感兴趣。

Project Summary/Abstract The Omaha MEG site is one of the most productive, internationally-known MEG groups in the world. In 2018 alone, they published more than 20 peer-reviewed publications in top journals (e.g., Brain, Neurology), obtained numerous major NIH awards, and made high impact discoveries spanning multiple areas of human neuroscience. MEG, or magnetoencephalography, is an advanced method for noninvasively imaging population-level neurophysiological activity with high temporal (< 1ms) and spatial precision (2-3 mm). Application of the method has grown substantially over the past decade due to technical advancements and the growing interest in neural oscillations, dynamic connectivity, and other metrics where spatiotemporal precision is extremely important. The Omaha MEG group has had a major role in this growth and continues to lead the way in many areas of MEG research, often exceeding all other MEG sites on major measures of scientific productivity and impact. However, this group is now at a crossroads where their future growth, and even existence, is threatened by the helium shortage and the planned obsolesce of their current MEG instrument. Briefly, this instrument consumes over 100 L of liquid helium per week, which is not only very expensive but also increasingly difficult to obtain in the current era of helium shortages. The device could be retrofitted with a 70% efficient helium recycler, but that would be expensive and only a partial, temporary solution. Beyond this, their current device is almost 11 years old and the vendor will cease making replacement parts for their model at the end of 2019. Thus, even with helium, the device is nearing end of life. Given these concerns, we are proposing to replace our existing MEG system with a state-of-the-art Triux Neo MEG system from MEGIN (formerly Elekta). This new system is equipped with: (1) an almost 100% efficient helium recycling system, (2) advanced ARMOR sensors and electronics which significantly expand the system’s dynamic range and have lower intrinsic noise levels, (3) improved spatial precision, (4) a two-layer passively and actively shielded room with external environmental sensors, and (5) a new ergonomic design and fine positioning system to enhance patient comfort and ensure the most optimal head position relative to the array in each participant. Thus, this new system is a significant, major step forward for the Omaha MEG group and for the field as a whole, as the first Triux Neo installation was recently completed in the United States. With this device, the Omaha MEG group will continue to grow and attract the best new faculty and junior scientists, and will remain at the forefront of discovery in several major topic areas that are described in the proposal and of clear interest to the NIH and the translational neuroscience community.