Elaine Best

Multi-start downhill simplex method for spatio-temporal source localization in magnetoencephalography

A multi-start downhill simplex method is examined as a global minimization technique for fitting multidipole, spatio-temporal magnetoencephalography (MEG) data. This procedure has been performed on both simulated and empirical human visual data, known to exhibit complex field patterns due to multiple sources. Unlike some other non-linear fitting techniques the multi-start downhill simplex method does not require users to provide initial guesses for the dipole parameters, hence the fitting procedure is less time-consuming, more objective, and user-friendly. In addition, this method offers more than one adequate solution thus providing a range of uncertainty for the estimated parameters. The Multi-start downhill simplex method is used to fit the non-linear dipole spatial parameters, while the linear temporal parameters are fit using a separate linear fitting procedure. Singular value decomposition (SVD) is also used in order to improve the procedure for determining the adequate number of modeled dipoles.

Evaluation of boundary element methods for the EEG forward problem: effect of linear interpolation

The authors implement the approach for solving the boundary integral equation for the electroencephalography (EEG) forward problem proposed by de Munck (1992), in which the electric potential varies linearly across each plane triangle of the mesh. Previous solutions have assumed the potential is constant across an element. The authors calculate the electric potential and systematically investigate the effect of different mesh choices and dipole locations by using a three concentric sphere head model for which there is an analytic solution. Implementing the linear interpolation approximation results in errors that are approximately half those of the same mesh when the potential is assumed to be constant, and provides a reliable method for solving the problem.<<ETX>>

Central versus peripheral visual field stimulation results in timing differences in dorsal stream sources as measured with MEG

Small, achromatic circular sinusoids were presented in the central and peripheral visual fields to investigate dorsal visual stream activation. It was hypothesized that peripheral stimulation would lead to faster onset latencies, as well as preferentially activate dorsal stream visual areas relative to central field stimulation. Although both central and peripheral stimulation activated similar areas, the onset latencies of neuromagnetic sources in two dorsal stream areas were found to be significantly shorter for peripheral versus central field stimulation. The results suggest that information from central versus peripheral fields arrives in the higher-order visual areas via different routes.

Aging: Compensation or maturation?

Neuroimaging studies of healthy aging often reveal differences in neural activation patterns between young and elderly groups for episodic memory tasks, even though there are no differences in behavioral performance. One explanation typically offered is that the elderly compensate for their memory deficiencies through the recruitment of additional prefrontal regions. The present study of healthy aging compared magnetoencephalographic (MEG) time-courses localized to specific cortical regions in two groups of subjects (20-29 years and >or=65 years) during a visual delayed-match-to-sample (DMS) task. MR morphometrics and neuropsychological test results were also examined with the hope of providing insight into the nature of the age-related differences. The behavioral results indicated no differences in performance between young and elderly groups. Although there was a main effect of age on the latency of the initial peak in primary/secondary visual cortex, these longer latencies were not correlated with the performance of elderly on the DMS task. The lateral occipital gyrus (LOG) revealed qualitatively different patterns of activity for the two age groups corroborated by neuropsychological test results. Morphometric results for the young versus elderly groups revealed less white (WM) and gray matter (GM) volumes in the frontal lobes of the elderly. When a group of middle-aged subjects (33-43 years) was included in the morphometric analyses, the middle-aged subjects revealed statistically greater WM volumes in frontal and parietal cortex suggesting immature WM tracts in the young. Perhaps our elderly utilized a different strategy compared to the young due to the different brain maturation levels of these groups.

Single vs. paired visual stimulation: superposition of early neuromagnetic responses and retinotopy in extrastriate cortex in humans

Neuromagnetic techniques were used in conjunction with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques to: (1) localize and characterize cortical sources evoked by visual stimuli presented at different locations in the lower right visual field; (2) examine the superposition of cortical responses by comparing the summation of responses to the presentation of single stimuli with responses to paired stimuli; and (3) examine the spatial resolution of magnetoencephalographic (MEG) techniques by comparing the identified source locations evoked by the presentation of single vs. paired stimuli. Using multi-dipole, non-linear minimization analyses, three sources were localized for each stimulus condition during the initial 80-170 ms poststimulus interval for all subjects. In addition to an occipital source, two extrastriate sources were identified: occipital-parietal and occipital-temporal. Each source evidenced a systematic shift in location associated with changes in stimulus placement parallel to the vertical meridian. To our knowledge, this is the first demonstration of retinotopic organization of extrastriate areas, using non-invasive neuromagnetic techniques. The paired presentation of stimuli reflected superposition of the responses evoked by single stimuli but only for early activity up to 150 ms poststimulus. Undersummation was evident after 150 ms. All sources identified for single stimuli were also identified in the paired-stimulus responses; but at the expense of larger errors for some of the estimated parameters.

Task relevance enhances early transient and late slow-wave activity of distributed cortical sources.

The primary purpose of these studies was to link together concepts related to attention/working memory and feedforward/feedback activity using MEG response profiles obtained in humans. Similar to recent studies of attention in monkeys, we show early “spike-like” activity (<200 ms poststimulus), most likely reflecting an early transient excitatory response mixed with feedback influences, followed by “slow-wave” activity (>200 ms poststimulus) in MEG cortical response profiles evoked by a visual working memory task. We experimentally dissociated the early transient activity from the later sustained activity (predominately feedback) by conducting an auditory size classification task. Words, representing common objects, evoked activity in occipital cortex (presumably due to imagery) even though visual stimuli were not present in this task. The initial “spike” was absent from the response profile obtained from occipital cortex, leaving only “slow-wave” activity, thereby allowing us to characterize or profile feedback activity in this situation. Attention or task relevance enhanced the initial “spike” and “slow-wave” activity in visually responsive areas. Prefrontal activity, along the superior frontal sulcus, evoked by the working memory task, was active later in time than initial activity in visual cortex and later than the earliest effect of attention modulation in visual cortex.

The magnetic field inside special conducting geometries due to internal current

In view of recent attempts to directly and noninvasively detect the neuromagnetic field, we derive an analytic formula for the magnetic field inside a homogeneous conducting sphere due to a point current dipole. It has a similar structure to a well-known formula for the field outside any spherically symmetric conductivity profile. For a radial dipole, the field on the inside has a very simple expression. A symmetry argument is given as to why the field of a radial dipole vanishes outside a spherical conductor. Illustrative plots of the magnetic field are presented for a radial and a tangential dipole; the slope of the tangential component of the magnetic field is discontinuous at the surface of the sphere. A spherical conductor having three concentric regions is discussed; and we also derive an analytic formula for the magnetic field inside a homogeneous infinite half space.

Nonlinear analysis of biological systems using short M-sequences and sparse-stimulation techniques

The m-sequence pseudorandom signal has been shown to be a more effective probing signal than traditional Gaussian white noise for studying nonlinear biological systems using cross-correlation techniques. The effectiveness is evidenced by the high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratio and speed of data acquisition. However, the “anomalies” that occur in the estimations of the cross-correlations represent an obstacle that prevents m-sequences from being more widely used for studying nonlinear systems. The sparse-stimulation method for measuring system kernels can help alleviate estimation errors caused by anomalies. In this paper, a “padded sparse-stimulation” method is evaluated, a modification of the “inserted sparse-stimulation” technique introduced by Sutter, along with a short m-sequence as a probing signal. Computer simulations show that both the “padded” and “inserted” methods can effectively eliminate the anomalies in the calculation of the second-order kernel, even when short m-sequences were used (length of 1023 for a binary m-sequence, and 728 for a ternary m-sequence). Preliminary experimental data from neuromagnetic studies of the human visual system are also presented, demonstrating that the system kernels can be measured with high signal-to-noise (S/N) ratios using short m-sequences.