Localization of human somatosensory cortex using spatially filtered magnetoencephalography

A spatial filter algorithm based on minimum-variance beamforming (synthetic aperture magnetometry (SAM)) was applied to single trial neuromagnetic recordings in order to localize primary somatosensory cortex. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) responses to electrical stimulation of the right and left median nerve were recorded using a whole-head MEG system and localized using both SAM spatial filtering and dipole analysis. Spatial filtering was applied to single trial neuromagnetic recordings to produce 3-dimensional difference images of source power between active (0-50 ms) and control states (-50-0 ms) in the range of 15-300 Hz. Average difference between N20m dipole location and location of maximal increase in power in the SAM images was 3.7 mm (1.5 mm SD) and localized to primary somatosensory cortex. Time-frequency analysis of spatially filtered output for the peak SAM locations showed a brief (10 ms) increase in the 60-100 Hz band coincident with the N20m response and a longer duration (approx. 80 ms) increase in power in the 10-40 Hz band following N20m onset. These results indicate that beamformer based spatial filter methods such as SAM can be used to localize temporally discrete cortical activity produced by median nerve stimulation.