Cognitive Neuroscience class MEG demonstration

Place and time: MEG lab in A2-008 at the 9th of October 2024, from 12:15 to 2pm

Agenda 105min total

Lab tour and general equipment presentation 10min

  • MEG overview

  • Explain the dewar, SQUIDs sensors, liquid Helium system

  • Explain the MSR (Magnetically Shielded Room)

  • Show the computers layout and the different capabilities of the lab (eyetracker, vpixx triggers, response box, audio stimulus)

  • Present what experiments we will run on this day and the outline of the demonstration

Prepare the participant for an MEG experiment 20min

  • Perform laser scan of headhape on the participant

  • Place participant in MSR, explain the headcoils placed on participant head

  • Perform auditory check for safety

SQUID sensors demonstration 5min

  • Show sensitivity to noise, rapid eyeblinks, teeth pressure, phone in airplane mode on and off

  • Show marker measurement and explain their importance for source localization

  • Show reference magnetometers and explain denoising for external noise

Two demonstrations: Resting state and Attention (contra-lateral) 50min
  • Experiment 1: Resting state: Access link to code and description 25min

    • Two blocks: a block of 10min eyes open and a second block of 10min eyes closed

  • Experiment 2: Attention: Access link to code and description 25min

    • the participant is asked to focus on a centered point for some duration of time

    • at some instant, a flash to a point in the far left of the visual field will appear

    • the participant must press a button when they see the flash

    • the experiment repeats itself for the right side.

Show and discuss analysis results 15min