Magnetoencephalography for the pediatric population, indications, acquisition and interpretation for the clinician
Adam A Dmytriw1,2, Aristides Hadjinicolaou3,4, Georgios Ntolkeras5
1Department of Radiology, Boston Children's Hospital, Boston, MA, USA.
Insights
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) offers a non-invasive way to assess brain activity in children. This review details pediatric MEG techniques, data analysis, and clinical uses, including epilepsy and autism spectrum disorder.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Pediatric Neurology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging technique measuring brain activity.
- Pediatric neuroimaging increasingly utilizes MEG due to its direct neurophysiological measures.
- MEG is painless and passive, making it suitable for children.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide a comprehensive review of Magnetoencephalography (MEG) for the pediatric population.
- To discuss technical aspects, data analysis, and clinical applications of pediatric MEG.
- To highlight practical implementations and emerging uses of MEG in pediatric neurology.
Main Methods:
- Review of technical and clinical aspects of MEG tailored for children.
- Discussion of methods to improve pediatric MEG data quality (e.g., child-friendly environments, motion artifact mitigation).
- Overview of neural source localization, analysis methods, and data interpretation.
Main Results:
- Detailed insights into contemporary MEG platforms and approaches from pediatric referral centers.
- Illustrations of practical implementation of MEG in clinical settings for children.
- Summary of expanding clinical applications, including presurgical evaluation for epilepsy, functional mapping, and assessment of autism spectrum disorder and mild traumatic brain injury.
Conclusions:
- Pediatric MEG is a valuable tool for understanding neurological conditions in children.
- Technical advancements and refined data acquisition strategies are crucial for maximizing MEG's potential.
- MEG plays a pivotal role in presurgical planning and shows emerging relevance in research for conditions like autism spectrum disorder.
Abstract:
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is an imaging technique that enables the assessment of cortical activity via direct measures of neurophysiology. It is a non-invasive and passive technique that is completely painless. MEG has gained increasing prominence in the field of pediatric neuroimaging. This dedicated review article for the pediatric population summarizes the fundamental technical and clinical aspects of MEG for the clinician. We discuss methods tailored for children to improve data quality, including child-friendly MEG facility environments and strategies to mitigate motion artifacts. We provide an in-depth overview on accurate localization of neural sources and different analysis methods, as well as data interpretation. The contemporary platforms and approaches of two quaternary pediatric referral centers are illustrated, shedding light on practical implementations in clinical settings. Finally, we describe the expanding clinical applications of MEG, including its pivotal role in presurgical evaluation of epilepsy patients, presurgical mapping of eloquent cortices (somatosensory and motor cortices, visual and auditory cortices, lateralization of language), its emerging relevance in autism spectrum disorder research and potential future clinical applications, and its utility in assessing mild traumatic brain injury. In conclusion, this review serves as a comprehensive resource of clinicians as well as researchers, offering insights into the evolving landscape of pediatric MEG. It discusses the importance of technical advancements, data acquisition strategies, and expanding clinical applications in harnessing the full potential of MEG to study neurological conditions in the pediatric population.
