Bioengineering class MEG demonstration

Place and time: MEG lab in A2-008 at the Tuesday 7th of October 2025, from 3:30 to 5:00 pm.

Agenda 85min

Lab tour and general equipment presentation 10min

  • MEG overview

  • Present the KIT-SQUIDs system and OPM-MEG system

  • Present the liquid Helium system

  • Provide explanation on 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 Auditory vs Visual 20min
  • Experiment 1: Resting state: Access link to code and description Resting State 5min

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

  • Experiment 2: Auditory vs Visual vs Motor: Access link to code and description Auditory vs Visual vs Motor 15min

    • A random sequence of 150 trials with three types of stimulus (conditions): auditory 200 Hz stimulus, visual (white flash), motor (button press)

Show and discuss analysis results 30min

  • Recap SQUID sensor operation, forward and inverse models, source reconstruction algorithms

  • Experiment 1 analysis: Resting state: Access link to Analysis Notebook

    • Show higher alpha power in eyes closed than in eyes open in the alpha band (8-12Hz)

    • Show that this difference is better seen in the occipital region

  • Experiment 2 analysis: Auditory vs Visual vs Motor experiment: Access link to Analysis Notebook

    • Show auditory trials activating the auditory cortex

    • Show visual trials activating the visual cortex

    • Show motor trials activating the motor cortex

  • Open discussion and questions from students 10min