Symmetry considerations in the quasi-static approximation of volume conductor theory

In living subjects electromagnetic signals are generated which can be measured electrically with electrodes and normal amplifiers or magnetically, by means of SQUID-magnetometers. The former technique is called EEG (electro-encephalography), the latter MEG (magneto-encephalography). Since the electromagnetic field patterns are dependent on physiological processes inside the body, a study of the electromagnetic field can help to understand these physiological processes. Some theoretical problems which are posed by such a study are considered. The way in which the electromagnetic field is generated is discussed. At a microscopic level, there are different physical mechanisms responsible for the generation of the electromagnetic field. Inside the brain, there are the synaptic interactions of neurons which produce the EEG and MEG. Cardiac potentials and cardiac magnetic induction are generated by the synchronous polarization of cardiac muscle cells

The use of the asymptotic expansion to speed up the computation of a series of spherical harmonics

When a function is expressed as an infinite series of spherical harmonics the convergence can be accelerated by subtracting its asymptotic expansion and adding it in analytically closed form. In the present article this technique is applied to two biophysical cases: to the potential distribution in a spherically symmetric volume conductor and to the covariance matrix of biomagnetic measurements

Hemispheric asymmetry in the maturation of the extra striate checkerboard onset evoked potential

Recently we have shown that the single positive deflection in the checkerboard onset evoked potential (EP) of young children of striate origin develops into a negative-positive complex. However, also an early positive peak becomes apparent in the checkerboard onset EP. To determine the origin and development of the activity underlying this early positive deflection we studied the checkerboard onset EPs in children of 9¿16 years of age. It was found that for the children in this age group two different dipole sources are responsible for the activity underlying the pattern onset EP. One of the dipoles corresponds to the activity generated in the striate cortex, whereas a second dipole of extrastriate origin is responsible for the appearance of the early positive deflection. This extrastriate activity shows hemispheric asymmetry, i.e. the strength of the right hemispheric extrastriate source exceeds the strength of the left hemispheric source. These results are in accordance with histological studies of Conel (1939¿1963) [The postnatal development of the human cerebral cortex (Vols 1¿8). Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Univ. Press] which show that the maturation of the extrastriate areas of the left hemisphere is delayed with respect to the right hemisphere

The use of the asymptotic expansion to speed up the computation of a series of spherical harmonics

When a function is expressed as an infinite series of spherical harmonics the convergence can be accelerated by subtracting its asymptotic expansion and adding it in analytically closed form. In the present article this technique is applied to two biophysical cases: to the potential distribution in a spherically symmetric volume conductor and to the covariance matrix of biomagnetic measurements

Motion Robust Magnetic Susceptibility and Field Inhomogeneity Estimation Using Regularized Image Restoration Techniques for fMRI

In functional MRI, head motion may cause dynamic nonlinear field-inhomogeneity changes, especially with large out-of-plane rotations. This may lead to dynamic geometric distortion or blurring in the time series, which may reduce activation detection accuracy. The use of image registration to estimate dynamic field inhomogeneity maps from a static field map is not sufficient in the presence of such rotations. This paper introduces a retrospective approach to estimate magnetic susceptibility induced field maps of an object in motion, given a static susceptibility induced field map and the associated object motion parameters. It estimates a susceptibility map from a static field map using regularized image restoration techniques, and applies rigid body motion to the former. The dynamic field map is then computed using susceptibility voxel convolution. The method addresses field map changes due to out-of-plane rotations during time series acquisition and does not involve real time field map acquisitions.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/85944/1/Fessler233.pd