Adjustable Helmet Array for Neonatal Magnetoencephalography

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DESCRIPTION (provided by applicant): The goal of this project is to develop a very low-cost whole-head neonatal MEG system that can adapt to the shape and size of the head. Clinically, there is a longstanding need for a technology that can aid in the diagnosis and prognosis of babies with brain dysfunction due to intrauterine and postnatal central nervous system insults, which may result in mental retardation and neurodevelopmental disorders. The proposed system is completely non-invasive and is based on a recent breakthrough in atomic magnetometer technology that eliminates majority of the costs and complexity associated with superconducting sensors used in traditional MEG systems. PUBLIC HEALTH RELEVANCE: MEG is one of the most promising functional imaging techniques that have been applied to neonatal and infant studies. The goal of this project is to develop a MEG system that is ideally suited for infant studies and costs less by almost an order of magnitude - $200k to $300k compared to >$2M for a SQUID-based system. We expect that successful execution of this project will stimulate research in neonatal and infant MEG and encourage many more researchers and clinicians to adopt MEG technology.