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Movement Related Beta-Band Modulation with OPM-MEG: A Pilot Study
Tobias Sevelsted Stærmose1, Jakob Udby Blicher2,3, Sarang S Dalal2
1Center of Functionally Integrative Neuroscience (CFIN), Department Clinical Medicine, Aarhus University, Denmark, Building 1710, Universitetsbyen 3, 8000, Aarhus C, Denmark. tgs@cfin.au.dk.
Brain Topography
|December 1, 2025
Summary
Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) reliably captured movement-related brain activity in healthy individuals, comparable to traditional systems. OPMs show promise as a cost-effective, flexible alternative for magnetoencephalography (MEG).
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Biophysics
- Medical Technology
Background:
- Optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) offer high-sensitivity magnetoencephalography (MEG) without cryogenics.
- Flexible sensor placement and zero-contact measurement are key advantages of OPMs.
- Evaluating OPMs for capturing movement-related beta-band modulation is crucial for clinical applications.
Purpose of the Study:
- To assess a 16-channel OPM array's ability to detect movement-related beta-band modulation (ERD/ERS).
- To compare OPM-based MEG with traditional SQUID-based MEG in healthy participants.
- To explore the feasibility of OPM-based MEG in a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
Main Methods:
- MEG recordings using a 16-channel OPM array and a 306-channel SQUID system.
- Visually cued active and passive finger movements were performed.
- Time-frequency analysis focused on beta-band activity (ERD/ERS).
Main Results:
- Both OPM and SQUID systems successfully captured movement-related beta oscillations in healthy participants.
- No significant differences were found between active and passive movements or between OPM and SQUID systems in controls.
- OPM data in the ALS patient showed attenuated responses and more artifacts, limiting interpretability.
Conclusions:
- A compact OPM array can reliably measure movement-related cortical beta activity, comparable to SQUID-based MEG in healthy individuals.
- OPMs present a viable, potentially cost-effective alternative to cryogenic MEG systems.
- Further studies with larger ALS cohorts are needed to establish OPM reliability and clinical utility in neurodegenerative diseases.
