Health Telematics (AIM) Final Report


	Updated: Feb 1, 97
MAGNOBRAIN

Biomagnetic methodologies for the non-invasive investigation of the human brain

Project Code: A2020

Project value: 1049 KECU

EC contribution: 527 KECU

No of partners: 10

No of countries: 6

Duration: 24 months

Contact:
Dr. George Anogianakis
Metropolis Informatics Ltd.
3 Stratigou Kallari Street
GR-54622 Thessaloniki, Greece
Tel.: +30-31-26.11.92 / 235610
Fax: +30-31-26.71.39
E-mail: ganog@isosun

Overview

Biomagnetism is a non-invasive technique well suited for monitoring the electrical activity of the brain. It infers information about the electric currents of the brain from measurements of the magnetic fields they induce. Present instruments measure Biomagnetic events on a millisecond time scale and can potentially localise their sources (neuronal populations) with an accuracy of a few millimetres. Biomagnetism is characterised by the extreme sensitivity of its sensors (Super conducting Quantum Interference Devices - SQUIDs), the high cost of its instrumentation and the substantial computational manipulation that its data require before they are presented in a format useful to clinicians.

If biomagnetic information can be integrated with CT or MRI images or information from other functional evaluation and anatomical imaging techniques, then biomagnetism can serve as electromagnetic basis for "functional imaging" of the brain.

Objectives

The objective of MAGNOBRAIN is to integrate the disciplines of Magneto-encephalography (MEG) and of Evoked Magnetic Fields of the brain (EMF), with MRI and the EEG. The necessary transeuropean cooperation, includes:

Comparison of results obtained in different laboratories, (ASTON University, University of TWENTE, University of Erlangen)
Improvement of the mathematical and computational models presently used,
Development of databases containing both important a - priori information that will lead to more accurate and reliable mathematical treatment of biomagnetic data
Development of normative databases that will enable the uniform interpretation of neuromagnetic diagnostic findings.

Key issues addressed by the project are:

The localisation problem and alternative approaches to functional biomagnetic imaging.
Maximal use of a-priori for obtaining realistic forward and inverse solutions.
Normative data collection: bridging the gap between physical theory and medical practice.
Combined research on MEG and MRI
Bringing it all together: building a normative database for MEG/EMF interpretation

Also:

The large volumes of data that biomagnetic investigations generate, require a very substantial computational manipulation before they can be presented in a format that may be useful to the clinician.
A standard interpretative framework is needed
Presentation formats must be totally compatible with other information the clinician has at his disposal, e.g. CT or MRI pictures, if Biomagnetism is to attain its full potential as a non invasive diagnostic tool.

All these require a very substantial expenditure of effort for the development of the necessary informatics tools which will integrate Biomagnetism with the rest of the existing high-tech diagnostic methodologies and establish its value as a diagnostic methodology beyond any reasonable doubt.

MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR represents an extension of the AIM '91 project MAGNOBRAIN which was completed on 31/12/1993. On that date, among its other achievements MAGNOBRAIN had developed and implemented a database containing a-priori information on the brain (the BDB). The particular implementation was restricted to the case of the occipital cortex.

The objective of MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR is to define and produce a software product . This product will be based on outputs of previous research such as the Brain Data Base (BDB) that integrates of MEG and EEG with MRI.

This has implied the realisation of the following "operational goals":

To survey the user requirements for the envisioned product
To produce a visual interface to the BDB
To produce a user-friendly data retrieval and viewing mechanism, that will access the BDB for data comparison, evaluation and presentation process
To integrate all modules into a single system
To clinically evaluate the product

Results

MAGNOBRAIN is the culmination of common efforts to advance the status of Biomagnetism in Europe and maintain the European lead in this field. The participants aspire to make a major contribution to the advancement of the state of the art in Neuromagnetism in the 1990's, which has been named the "Decade of the Brian". MAGNOBRAIN's impact will be:

To make Biomagnetism a clinical/diagnostic tool instead of a basic science investigative methodology.
To introduce proper informatics environments, tools and methodologies and thus encapsulate the wealth of information that Biomagnetism provides about the function of the human body.

MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR has transformed the main MAGNOBRAIN output, i e the BDB, into a marketable product by producing:

A survey of medical attitudes towards electromagnetic functional imaging in order to use it as a guide for the subsequent prototype design process.
Necessary tools for matching any arbitrary MRI brain slice to the corresponding (and appropriate) BDB contents. These are envisaged as a set of tools that allow the local "stretching" and "shrinking" of MRI images so that they match the BDB model.
The development of interfaces for using EEG/ME along with MRI data for forward and inverse problem computations as well as for retrieval of information from the BDB.

Assessment of .the performance of MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR product as a companion tool to EEG, MEG and MRI had a two-fold goal.

it was used as feedback for correcting flaws in the MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR user interface design
it provided an indication for the user acceptance of the product.

The clinical evaluation of MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR took place in four sites:

ASTON University (UK).
University of Twente (NL),
Medisearch Foundation (NL) and
University of Erlangen (D).

In each site the MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR has been tested for a period of four months on a common protocol. Marketing efforts of the MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR product are now focused mostly on the EEG market since there are only few clinically operational MEG installations as yet. The EEG market in contrast is really vast and becoming locally computer oriented with the advent of digital EEG and EEG topography. The MAGNOBRAIN-ANIMATOR product is marketed as a medical software product that will be highly portable and compatible with most forms of medical imaging.

List of Deliverables

Year 1

Specs of database on a-priori info for forward problem solution (3/S/L)
Specs of database of MEG/EEG normative data (epilepsy and M.S.) (3/S/L)
Software for MEG oriented MRI image segmentation (9/P/L)
Reports on the combined MRI and MEG investigation of epilepsy (12/R/P)

Year 2

Software for producing realistically shaped models of the human head (6/T/L)
Database of a-priori information for optimal forward problem solution (6/T/L)
Reports on the combined MRI and MEG investigation of epilepsy (12/R/P)
Database of MEG/EEG normative data on focal epilepsy and M.S. (12/T/L)
Magnobrain-Animator
Product specifications survey.
Product acceptance survey.
Product marketing prospects survey
Guidelines to image integration
An image "rubberization" tool to be integrated into the animator system
A graphical user interface for the input and processing of electromagnetic measurements
A graphical user interface for the input and processing of structural images

List of Participants

Mr. Lefteris Leontarides Biotrast U.E.T.P. 3 Stratigou Kallari Street GR-54622 Thessaloniki, Greece Tel.: +30-31-23.50.65 Fax: +30-31-26.71.39 E-mail: smag@isosun	Dr. J.A. Den Boer Medisearch Foundation Philips Medical Systems Veenpluis 6 NL-5684 PC Best, The Netherlands Tel.: +31-40-76.20.09 / 76.31.40 Fax: +31-40-76.34.59
Dr. Maria Peters University Twente Applied Physics Drienerlolaan 5, PO Box 217 NL-7500 AE Enschede, The Netherlands Tel.: +31-53-89.38.41 Fax: +31-53-35.40.03 E-mail: peters@henut5	Dr. Andy Ioannides Open University Dept. of Physics, Walton Hall Milton Keynes MK7 6AA, U.K. Tel.: +44-908-65.25.11 Fax: +44-908-65.37.44 E-mail: aaioannid@uk.ac.open.acs.vax
Prof. G.F.A. Harding Univ. Aston - Vision Sciences Aston Triangle Birmingham B4 7ET, U.K. Tel.: +44-21-359.36.11 Fax: +44-21-359.73.58 E-mail: vision@uk.ac.aston	Prof. Michael Apostolakis Univ. Thessaloniki Faculty of Medicine - Physiology GR-54006 Thessaloniki, Greece Tel.: +30-31-99.13.32 Fax: +30-31-20.75.19 E-mail: mger@isosun
Prof. George Foroglou Univ. Thessaloniki Neurosurgery A.H.E.P.A. Hospital GR-54006 Thessaloniki, Greece Tel.: +30-31-99.13.52 Fax: +30-31-99.13.52 E-mail: tlimn@isosun	Dr. Per Högstedt Chalmers Univ. Of Technology R & D / Biomagnetism Ceres Gatan S-40275 Göteborg, Sweden Tel.: +46-31-50.70.50 / 50.70.00 Fax: +46-31-51.53.13 E-mail: hogfteog@plab.fe
Prof. Juergen Vieth Univ. Erlangen Experimental Neuropsychiatry Schwabachanlange 6, Kopfklinikum D-8520 Erlangen, Germany Tel.: +49-9131-85.43.12 / 85.44.28 Fax: +49-9131-85.44.36	Prof .M. C. Gilardi Istituto H San Raffaele Via Ollgettina 60 I-20132 Milano, Italy Tel.: +39-22-641.34.31 Fax: +39-22-641.52.02



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