Emergent technologies in clinical neurophysiology to study the central nervous system: IFCN handbook chapter

This chapter reviews recent breakthroughs in neurophysiological brain mapping, focusing on EEG, MEG, and MRI technologies and their integration with stimulation techniques. High-density and portable EEG systems now allow more precise, user-friendly, and mobile recordings. Machine learning enhances biomarker detection and diagnostic power, particularly in epilepsy, cognitive disorders, and sleep pathology. MEG has become more versatile with the development of wearable optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs), enabling recordings during natural movement and broadening clinical access. Intracranial EEG (iEEG) remains central in epilepsy surgery and neuroscience research, with innovations in seizure forecasting and high-resolution speech decoding via microelectrode arrays and Neuropixels probes. Structural and functional MRI have advanced through ultra-high field imaging, quantitative tissue characterization, and connectomics, while functional MRS (fMRS) enables real-time tracking of neurochemical changes. Crucially, these mapping tools increasingly converge with brain stimulation-TMS, TES, focused ultrasound, and deep brain stimulation-to enable real-time, individualized modulation of brain networks. Simultaneous EEG-fMRI and artifical intelligence-driven brain-computer interfaces further enhance precision interventions. Together, these technologies are transforming clinical neurophysiology, offering new insights into brain function and advancing personalized neuromodulation therapies for neurological and psychiatric disorders.