Robotically-actuated, low-noise, concurrent TMS-EEG-fMRI system

摘要 以空间和时间的精度对大脑进行非侵入性调制和成像的能力是非常理想的。 以了解健康和疾病中的大脑回路。经颅磁刺激(TMS)是一种治疗 以高空间和时间精度刺激浅层皮质，其效果可针对更深层次 通过利用大脑回路的跨突触连接来达到靶点。功能磁共振成像 (FMRI)具有较高的空间分辨率，但时间精度有限，相反的情况适用于 脑电(EEG)。这三种非侵入性电磁方法最近被 结合实现了高时空精度的同时调制和脑成像。这 然而，该方法具有各种重大的技术限制，包括相互的电磁伪影 降低信噪比和延迟成像/脑电数据的采集，TMS声学噪声 激活听觉通路，以及无法自适应地调整MRI扫描仪内的TMS线圈位置 以达到最佳的目标。该项目的总体目标是通过开发和开发 整合了一系列新技术。我们将开发一种紧凑、节能、安静的核磁共振- 和脑电兼容的TMS线圈。TMS线圈将由定制的与MRI兼容的机器人系统驱动， 允许根据成像反馈对线圈位置和方向进行自适应优化。神经回路 对刺激的反应将用一种新开发的灵活的、头部一致的MRI阵列进行成像 线圈结合局部磁场匀场和射频接收，实现高信噪比和快速 图像采集。同时记录TMS治疗前后的脑活动。 使用新型无线脑电系统的时间分辨率和低噪声。要应对技术挑战， 创建这样一个在核磁共振扫描仪内运行的系统，我们的团队已经开发出几个突破性的 将协同工作以减少或消除系统组件和 提高刺激精度、成像速度和灵敏度。一旦开发出来，机器人驱动的 TMS-EEG-fMRI系统将能够系统地询问MRI扫描仪内的人类大脑电路， 空间和时间的灵活性和精确度是当前技术无法实现的。这个 集成的系统将易于使用，并与平台无关，因此有可能立即和 可扩展的影响。MRI扫描仪中TMS线圈放置的首次自适应优化将是 展示了大脑状态触发的深层大脑目标的参与。总而言之，拟议的机器人- 致动的TMS-EEG-fMRI系统将通过增强的解剖结构实现大脑回路的调制和成像 和功能精确度，可以促进神经科学研究和治疗干预的进步。

Abstract The ability to noninvasively modulate and image the brain with spatial and temporal precision is highly desirable for understanding brain circuits in health and disease. Transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) is a method for stimulating the superficial cortex with high spatial and temporal precision, and its effects can be aimed at deeper targets by leveraging the trans-synaptic connectivity of brain circuits. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has high spatial resolution but limited temporal precision, and the opposite holds for electroencephalography (EEG). These three noninvasive electromagnetic methods have recently been combined to achieve high spatial and temporal precision of concurrent modulation and imaging of the brain. This approach, however, has various significant technical limitations, including mutual electromagnetic artifacts decreasing the signal-to-noise ratio and delaying the acquisition of imaging/EEG data, TMS acoustic noise co- activating auditory pathways, and the inability to adaptively adjust the TMS coil position within the MRI scanner for optimal targeting. The overarching objective of this project is to address these limitations by developing and integrating an array of novel technologies. We will develop a compact, energy efficient, quiet, as well as MRI- and EEG-compatible TMS coil. The TMS coil will be actuated with a custom MRI-compatible robotic system, allowing adaptive optimization of the coil position and orientation based on imaging feedback. The neural circuit responses to the stimulation will be imaged with a newly developed a flexible, head-conforming array of MRI coils combining local magnetic field shimming and RF receiving to achieve high signal-to-noise ratio and fast image acquisition. The brain activity will be simultaneously recorded both before and after TMS with high temporal resolution and low noise using a novel wireless EEG system. To meet the technical challenges of creating such as a system operating inside MRI scanners, our team has developed several breakthrough technologies that will work synergistically to reduce or eliminate couplings between system components and enhance the stimulation precision and imaging speed and sensitivity. Once developed, the robotically-actuated TMS-EEG-fMRI system will enable systematic interrogation of human brain circuits inside an MRI scanner with spatial and temporal flexibility and precision that are impossible to achieve with current technology. The integrated system will be easy-to-use, and platform-agonistic thus having the potential for immediate and scalable impact. First-time adaptive optimization of the TMS coil placement in the MRI scanner will be demonstrated for brain-state-triggered engagement of a deep brain target. In summary, the proposed robotically- actuated TMS-EEG-fMRI system will enable modulation and imaging of brain circuits with enhanced anatomical and functional precision that can lead to advances in neuroscience research and therapeutic interventions.