The use of portable Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in movement disorders
Research type
Research Study
Full title
The use of portable Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in movement disorders
IRAS ID
254212
Contact name
Hayriye Cagnan
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
University of Oxford / Clinical Trials and Research Governance
ISRCTN Number
ISRCTN56202806
Duration of Study in the UK
5 years, 0 months, 1 days
Research summary
This project aims to extend the current understanding of the relationship between oscillatory neural activity in the peripheral and central nervous systems and the expression of motor deficits in movement disorders. We will make recordings from patients making naturalistic movements to acquire signals generated by the muscles and brain. Specifically we will employ a novel, noninvasive neuroimaging system. This portable system uses sensors operating at room temperature ("optically pumped magnetometers"- OPM) that can be worn on the subject’s head using a closely fitting "head cast" moulded to the subjects MRI. Conventional recording systems(such as cryogenic magnetoencephalography or electroencephalography EEG) are highly susceptible to movement artefact which prevents recording of brain activity during movement and makes study of movement disorders difficult.
The use of portable OPM technology will allow us to record from patients that are moving in ways that correspond to their everyday activity. By obtaining high quality neural recordings of structures thought to be associated with movement disorders we can a) infer patterns of activity induced by a motor task designed to mimic daily motor activities; and b) ask how voluntary movement may interact with symptoms of movement disorders such as the expression of tremor.
We aim to recruit four groups of patients: essential tremor; tremor-dominant and non-tremor dominant Parkinson's disease; and Dystonic tremor. We will ask patients to perform a motor task capable of modulating motor deficits(e.g. intentional tremor, rest tremor, slowness of movement, and rigidity). Using these recordings we hope to determine how the activity associated with voluntary movement acts to interact with the networks responsbile for motor impairment. In the case of tremor dominant disorders, some patients will recieve botulinum injections as part of their routine clinical care. In this subset of patients we will ask them to perform the experiment twice: before and after this intervention.
Summary of Results
ay summary of study results: Study title: Essential tremor disrupts rhythmic brain networks during naturalistic movement.
Who carried out the research: The study was led by researchers at University of Oxford, Imperial College London, University College London. Funding was provided by the Medical Research Council UK and the Wellcome Trust.
Where and when: Recordings took place at University College London (UK) in 2022-2023 Thank you: We are very grateful to all the volunteers who gave their time to take part.
Why the research was needed: Essential Tremor is a common neurological condition that causes involuntary shaking, most often of the hands, making everyday tasks difficult. Most previous research has studied tremor while people sit still. We wanted to understand how the condition affects the brain during natural movements such as reaching, in order to find better targets in brain activity for future treatments.
Main questions: How does Essential Tremor change the way large networks of the brain coordinate movement? Could this help us identify new targets for treatment?Who took part: Adults diagnosed with Essential Tremor and healthy volunteers of similar ages.
What happened during the study: Participants reached towards targets on a screen while we recorded their hand movements and their brain activity. Brain activity was measured using two safe, non-invasive techniques: electroencephalography (EEG), which uses sensors on the scalp to record the brain's electrical signals, and optically pumped magnetoencephalography (OPM-MEG), a new wearable technology that measures the brain's tiny magnetic fields. This was the first use of OPM-MEG to study a movement disorder.
Results: People with Essential Tremor reached the targets as accurately as healthy volunteers but moved more slowly. Several brain regions involved in movement were correlated in time with the tremor. A type of brain rhythm called "beta" activity was ~15% more reduced during movement in people with Essential Tremor, and this was strongest in those with the most severe tremor. Using a new analysis method, we identified four large brain networks that together accounted for almost all of the movement-related brain activity. Two of these networks, normally used for planning movement and guiding it using the senses, behaved differently in people with Essential Tremor, which may explain their slower movements.
How this helps patients and researchers: The brain regions and rhythms we identified could be used as targets for new "smart" brain stimulation therapies that switch on only when needed. These could be more comfortable and effective than current treatments, and potentially help more patients than existing invasive options.
Further research: The findings will inform ongoing work to develop next-generation, less invasive brain stimulation therapies for tremor.
Where to learn more: The full open-access paper is available at: https://eur03.safelinks.protection.outlook.com/?url=https%3A%2F%2Ftrack.pstmrk.it%2F3ts%2Fdoi.org%252F10.1016%252Fj.nbd.2025.106858%2FNBTI%2FUL-FAQ%2FAQ%2Ff500bda7-9013-4d07-b94f-e36e8c952567%2F1%2F0EKRyyHiQ6&data=05%7C02%7Cwales.rec5%40wales.nhs.uk%7C13014ab4674442ac062008df082f8386%7Cbb5628b8e3284082a856433c9edc8fae%7C0%7C0%7C639238673058647780%7CUnknown%7CTWFpbGZsb3d8eyJFbXB0eU1hcGkiOnRydWUsIlYiOiIwLjAuMDAwMCIsIlAiOiJXaW4zMiIsIkFOIjoiTWFpbCIsIldUIjoyfQ%3D%3D%7C0%7C%7C%7C&sdata=yoU8EKoNI5iU3MvK5%2B9AcHiCYYkK9rHggiwD5d1OrY8%3D&reserved=0
REC name
Wales REC 5
REC reference
20/WA/0124
Date of REC Opinion
26 Jun 2020
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion