A novel hybrid Wireless Integrated Sensing Detector for simultaneous EEG and MRI (WISDEM)

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Biomedical Engineering
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Simultaneous EEG/fMRI recording is vital for understanding brain function and behavior.
• MRI scanners create significant artifacts that hinder EEG signal detection.
• Existing denoising methods struggle with baseline drifts caused by cabled EEG connections in MRI environments.

Purpose of the Study:

• To develop a novel wireless detector for artifact-free simultaneous EEG and fMRI recording.
• To enable robust retrieval of neural and hemodynamic signals during MRI scans.
• To validate neurovascular coupling using the developed technology.

Main Methods:

• Development of a Wireless Integrated Sensing Detector for simultaneous EEG and MRI (WISDEM).
• Encoding fMRI and EEG signals on distinct sidebands of an oscillation carrier wave for detection by a standard MRI console.
• Frequency-demodulation and filtering of signals to retrieve Local Field Potential (LFP) and fMRI maps.
• Optogenetic stimulation of the somatosensory cortex in an animal model.

Main Results:

• Successful retrieval of both LFP and fMRI signals without significant MRI-induced artifacts.
• Demonstration of a positive correlation between evoked LFP and fMRI signals, confirming neurovascular coupling.
• Validation of the WISDEM system's capability for cross-scale brain mapping.

Conclusions:

• The WISDEM system effectively overcomes MRI artifacts, enabling high-fidelity simultaneous EEG and fMRI recording.
• The technology provides a robust tool for studying neurovascular coupling and cross-scale brain dynamics.
• WISDEM offers a promising research and diagnostic tool for neuroscience and clinical applications.