Schwartz Denis, Badier Jean-Michel, Gutteling Tjerk P, Daligault Sébastien, Labyt Etienne, Bonini Francesca, Jung Julien
MEG Department, CERMEP-Imagerie du Vivant, Lyon, France.
CRNL, UMR_S 1028, INSERM, CNRS, Lyon University 1, HCL, Lyon, France.
Epilepsia Open. 2025 Sep 12. doi: 10.1002/epi4.70139.
Conventional magnetoencephalography (MEG) based on superconducting quantum interference devices sensors (SQUIDs) is the only widely used MEG system in both clinical and research settings. However, it has limitations that hinder its widespread deployment. Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) offer several advantages over SQUIDs, particularly for epilepsy studies: lightweight and flexible, OPMs can be integrated into adaptable motion-tolerant headsets, enabling recordings during seizures or natural head movements, and potentially enhancing the detection of interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs). In the present study, we assess the capabilities of a 5-sensor MEG system with helium OPMs (He-OPMs) in detecting IEDs.
First, we compare the performance of SQUID-MEG and He-OPM-MEG in a group of 7 patients. Second, we perform combined intra-cerebral (SEEG) He-OPM-MEG and SQUID-MEG recordings in a single patient to demonstrate the ability of both systems to detect IEDs originating from deep brain structures.
The key finding is that both the SQUID-MEG and the He-OPM-MEG prototype, with a very limited number of sensors, successfully captured interictal epileptic activity in 5 of the 7 patients. This activity was clearly detectable and exhibited the characteristic morphology, with strikingly similar time courses between He-OPM-MEG and SQUID-MEG signals. Using combined SEEG and OPM-MEG recordings, we obtained the first direct validation of the ability of He OPM sensors to record epileptic activities originating from deep structures.
These results strongly support the clinical adoption of a lightweight, high-sensitivity, whole-head OPMs-MEG system, offering new perspectives for epilepsy diagnostics and beyond, and enabling the democratization and spread of MEG in clinical and research settings.
Magnetoencephalography is a noninvasive neuroimaging technique that has been shown to improve surgical outcomes in epileptic patients. However, its use remains limited due to several constraints, which could be overcome by a new generation of sensors: the optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs). Here, we validate the ability of OPM sensors to record epileptic brain activity in a regular clinical setup and thanks to simultaneous intracerebral recordings. These sensors open new venues for the widespread application of magnetoencephalography in the management of epilepsy, as well as for fundamental neuroscience.
基于超导量子干涉器件传感器（SQUIDs）的传统脑磁图（MEG）是临床和研究环境中唯一广泛使用的MEG系统。然而，它存在一些限制，阻碍了其广泛应用。光泵磁力仪（OPMs）相对于SQUIDs具有多个优势，特别是在癫痫研究方面：OPMs重量轻且灵活，可集成到适应性强、耐运动的头罩中，能够在癫痫发作或自然头部运动期间进行记录，并有可能增强发作间期癫痫样放电（IEDs）的检测。在本研究中，我们评估了一种配备氦光泵磁力仪（He-OPMs）的5传感器MEG系统检测IEDs的能力。
首先，我们比较了7名患者中SQUID-MEG和He-OPM-MEG的性能。其次，我们在一名患者中进行了颅内（SEEG）He-OPM-MEG和SQUID-MEG联合记录，以证明这两种系统检测源自深部脑结构的IEDs的能力。
关键发现是，SQUID-MEG和He-OPM-MEG原型机（传感器数量非常有限）在7名患者中的5名患者中成功捕捉到了发作间期癫痫活动。这种活动清晰可检测到，并呈现出特征性形态，He-OPM-MEG和SQUID-MEG信号之间的时间进程惊人地相似。通过联合SEEG和OPM-MEG记录，我们首次直接验证了He OPM传感器记录源自深部结构的癫痫活动的能力。
这些结果有力地支持了临床采用轻便、高灵敏度的全头OPMs-MEG系统，为癫痫诊断及其他领域提供了新的视角，并使MEG在临床和研究环境中的普及和推广成为可能。
脑磁图是一种无创神经成像技术，已被证明可改善癫痫患者的手术效果。然而，由于一些限制，其应用仍然有限，而新一代传感器：光泵磁力仪（OPMs）可以克服这些限制。在这里，我们通过同步颅内记录，验证了OPM传感器在常规临床设置中记录癫痫脑活动的能力。这些传感器为脑磁图在癫痫管理以及基础神经科学中的广泛应用开辟了新途径。
