Sir Peter Mansfield Imaging Centre, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Nottingham, University Park, Nottingham NG7 2QX, United Kingdom.
Program in Neurosciences & Mental Health, Hospital for Sick Children, Toronto, ON M5G 0A4, Canada.
Br J Radiol. 2024 Oct 1;97(1162):1591-1601. doi: 10.1093/bjr/tqae123.
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique that assesses neurophysiology through the detection of the magnetic fields generated by neural currents. In this way, it is sensitive to brain activity, both in individual regions and brain-wide networks. Conventional MEG systems employ an array of sensors that must be cryogenically cooled to low temperature, in a rigid one-size-fits-all helmet. Systems are typically designed to fit adults and are therefore challenging to use for paediatric measurements. Despite this, MEG has been employed successfully in research to investigate neurodevelopmental disorders, and clinically for presurgical planning for paediatric epilepsy. Here, we review the applications of MEG in children, specifically focussing on autism spectrum disorder and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. Our review demonstrates the significance of MEG in furthering our understanding of these neurodevelopmental disorders, while also highlighting the limitations of current instrumentation. We also consider the future of paediatric MEG, with a focus on newly developed instrumentation based on optically pumped magnetometers (OPM-MEG). We provide a brief overview of the development of OPM-MEG systems, and how this new technology might enable investigation of brain function in very young children and infants.
脑磁图（MEG）是一种非侵入性神经影像学技术，通过检测神经电流产生的磁场来评估神经生理学。通过这种方式，它对个体区域和全脑网络的大脑活动都很敏感。传统的 MEG 系统采用传感器阵列，这些传感器必须在刚性的、一刀切的头盔中冷却到低温。这些系统通常是为成年人设计的，因此对于儿科测量来说使用起来具有挑战性。尽管如此，MEG 已成功应用于神经发育障碍的研究，并在儿科癫痫的术前规划中进行了临床应用。在这里，我们回顾了 MEG 在儿童中的应用，特别是专门针对自闭症谱系障碍和注意力缺陷多动障碍。我们的综述表明，MEG 在深入了解这些神经发育障碍方面具有重要意义，同时也突出了当前仪器的局限性。我们还考虑了儿科 MEG 的未来，重点是基于光泵磁强计（OPM-MEG）的新开发仪器。我们简要概述了 OPM-MEG 系统的发展，以及这项新技术如何能够使对非常年幼的儿童和婴儿的大脑功能进行研究成为可能。
