Risto J Ilmoniemi

Publications

• 2.50

  Impact points

  Accelerometer-based method for correcting signal baseline changes caused by motion artifacts in medical near-infrared spectroscopy.

  Jaakko Virtanen, Tommi Noponen, Kalle Kotilahti, Juha Virtanen, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Journal of biomedical optics. 08/2011; 16(8):087005.

  In medical near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), movements of the subject often cause large step changes in the baselines of the measured light attenuation signals. This prevents comparison of hemoglobin concentration levels before and after movement. We present an accelerometer-based motion artifact r... [more] In medical near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS), movements of the subject often cause large step changes in the baselines of the measured light attenuation signals. This prevents comparison of hemoglobin concentration levels before and after movement. We present an accelerometer-based motion artifact removal (ABAMAR) algorithm for correcting such baseline motion artifacts (BMAs). ABAMAR can be easily adapted to various long-term monitoring applications of NIRS. We applied ABAMAR to NIRS data collected in 23 all-night sleep measurements and containing BMAs from involuntary movements during sleep. For reference, three NIRS researchers independently identified BMAs from the data. To determine whether the use of an accelerometer improves BMA detection accuracy, we compared ABAMAR to motion detection based on peaks in the moving standard deviation (SD) of NIRS data. The number of BMAs identified by ABAMAR was similar to the number detected by the humans, and 79% of the artifacts identified by ABAMAR were confirmed by at least two humans. While the moving SD of NIRS data could also be used for motion detection, on average 2 out of the 10 largest SD peaks in NIRS data each night occurred without the presence of movement. Thus, using an accelerometer improves BMA detection accuracy in NIRS.
• 2.53

  Impact points

  Avoiding eddy-current problems in ultra-low-field MRI with self-shielded polarizing coils.

  Jaakko O Nieminen, Panu T Vesanen, Koos C J Zevenhoven, Juhani Dabek, Juha Hassel, Juho Luomahaara, Jari S Penttilä, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Journal of magnetic resonance (San Diego, Calif. : 1997). 07/2011; 212(1):154-60.

  In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), superconductive sensors are used to detect MRI signals typically in fields on the order of 10-100 μT. Despite the highly sensitive detectors, it is necessary to prepolarize the sample in a stronger magnetic field on the order of 10-100 mT, whi... [more] In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), superconductive sensors are used to detect MRI signals typically in fields on the order of 10-100 μT. Despite the highly sensitive detectors, it is necessary to prepolarize the sample in a stronger magnetic field on the order of 10-100 mT, which has to be switched off rapidly in a few milliseconds before signal acquisition. In addition, external magnetic interference is commonly reduced by situating the ULF-MRI system inside a magnetically shielded room (MSR). With typical dipolar polarizing coil designs, the stray field induces strong eddy currents in the conductive layers of the MSR. These eddy currents cause significant secondary magnetic fields that may distort the spin dynamics of the sample, exceed the dynamic range of the sensors, and prevent simultaneous magnetoencephalography and MRI acquisitions. In this paper, we describe a method to design self-shielded polarizing coils for ULF MRI. The experimental results show that with a simple self-shielded polarizing coil, the magnetic fields caused by the eddy currents are largely reduced. With the presented shielding technique, ULF-MRI devices can utilize stronger and spatially broader polarizing fields than achievable with unshielded polarizing coils.
• 5.74

  Impact points

  Projecting out muscle artifacts from TMS-evoked EEG.

  Hanna Mäki, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  NeuroImage. 02/2011; 54(4):2706-10.

  Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography is a powerful tool for probing cortical excitability and connectivity; we can perturb one brain area and study the reactions at the stimulated and interconnected sites. When stimulating areas near cranial muscles, their activatio... [more] Transcranial magnetic stimulation combined with electroencephalography is a powerful tool for probing cortical excitability and connectivity; we can perturb one brain area and study the reactions at the stimulated and interconnected sites. When stimulating areas near cranial muscles, their activation produces a large artifact in the electroencephalographic signal, lasting tens of milliseconds and masking the early brain signals. We present an artifact removal method based on projecting out the topographic patterns of the muscle activity. Although the brain and muscle components overlap both temporally and spectrally, the fact that muscle activity is present also at frequencies higher than 100 Hz, while brain signal is mostly restricted to frequencies lower than that, allows us to study the high-frequency muscle activity without brain contribution. We determined the muscle activity topographies from data highpass-filtered at a 100-Hz cutoff frequency using principal component analysis. Projecting out the topographies of the principal components which explain most of the variance of the high-frequency data reduces not only the high-frequency activity but also the low-frequency muscle contribution, because the topography produced by a muscle source can be expected to be the same regardless of the frequency. The method greatly reduced the muscle artifact evoked by stimulation of Broca's area, while a significant brain signal contribution remained. Improvement in the signal-to-artifact ratio, defined as the relative amplitudes of brain signals peaking after 50 ms and the first artifact deflection, was of the order of 10-100 depending on the number of projections. The presented artifact removal method enables one to study the cortical state when stimulating areas near the cranial muscles.
• 1.76

  Impact points

  Face activated neurodynamic cortical networks.

  Ana Susac, Risto J Ilmoniemi, Doug Ranken, Selma Supek

  Medical & biological engineering & computing. 02/2011; 49(5):531-43.

  Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that complex visual stimuli, such as faces, activate multiple brain regions, yet little is known on the dynamics and complexity of the activated cortical networks during the entire measurable evoked response. In this study, we used simulated and face-evoked e... [more] Previous neuroimaging studies have shown that complex visual stimuli, such as faces, activate multiple brain regions, yet little is known on the dynamics and complexity of the activated cortical networks during the entire measurable evoked response. In this study, we used simulated and face-evoked empirical MEG data from an oddball study to investigate the feasibility of accurate, efficient, and reliable spatio-temporal tracking of cortical pathways over prolonged time intervals. We applied a data-driven, semiautomated approach to spatio-temporal source localization with no prior assumptions on active cortical regions to explore non-invasively face-processing dynamics and their modulation by task. Simulations demonstrated that the use of multi-start downhill simplex and data-driven selections of time intervals submitted to the Calibrated Start Spatio-Temporal (CSST) algorithm resulted in improved accuracy of the source localization and the estimation of the onset of their activity. Locations and dynamics of the identified sources indicated a distributed cortical network involved in face processing whose complexity was task dependent. This MEG study provided the first non-invasive demonstration, agreeing with intracranial recordings, of an early onset of the activity in the fusiform face gyrus (FFG), and that frontal activation preceded parietal for responses elicited by target faces.
• 1.76

  Impact points

  Removal of large muscle artifacts from transcranial magnetic stimulation-evoked EEG by independent component analysis.

  Reeta J Korhonen, Julio C Hernandez-Pavon, Johanna Metsomaa, Hanna Mäki, Risto J Ilmoniemi, Jukka Sarvas

  Medical & biological engineering & computing. 02/2011; 49(4):397-407.

  We present two techniques utilizing independent component analysis (ICA) to remove large muscle artifacts from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-evoked EEG signals. The first one is a novel semi-automatic technique, called enhanced deflation method (EDM). EDM is a modification of the deflation... [more] We present two techniques utilizing independent component analysis (ICA) to remove large muscle artifacts from transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-evoked EEG signals. The first one is a novel semi-automatic technique, called enhanced deflation method (EDM). EDM is a modification of the deflation mode of the FastICA algorithm; with an enhanced independent component search, EDM is an effective tool for removing the large, spiky muscle artifacts. The second technique, called manual method (MaM) makes use of the symmetric mode of FastICA and the artifactual components are visually selected by the user. In order to evaluate the success of the artifact removal methods, four different quality parameters, based on curve comparison and frequency analysis, were studied. The dorsal premotor cortex (dPMC) and Broca's area (BA) were stimulated with TMS. Both methods removed the very large muscle artifacts recorded after stimulation of these brain areas. However, EDM was more stable, less subjective, and thus also faster to use than MaM. Until now, examining lateral areas of the cortex with TMS-EEG has been restricted because of strong muscle artifacts. The methods described here can remove those muscle artifacts, allowing one to study lateral areas of the human brain, e.g., BA, with TMS-EEG.
• 3.22

  Impact points

  The functional role of the ventral premotor cortex in a visually paced finger tapping task: a TMS study.

  Irene Ruspantini, Hanna Mäki, Reeta Korhonen, Alessandro D'Ausilio, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Behavioural brain research. 02/2011; 220(2):325-30.

  The accurate control of timed actions is a fundamental aspect of our daily activities. Repetitive movements can be either self-paced or synchronized with an external stimulus. Finger tapping (FT) is a suitable task to study the mechanisms of motor timing in both conditions. The neuronal network supp... [more] The accurate control of timed actions is a fundamental aspect of our daily activities. Repetitive movements can be either self-paced or synchronized with an external stimulus. Finger tapping (FT) is a suitable task to study the mechanisms of motor timing in both conditions. The neuronal network supporting motor timing in FT tasks comprises the lateral cerebellum, the lateral and mesial premotor areas as well as parietal sites. It has been suggested that lateral premotor cortices (PMC) are involved in time representation and sensorimotor transformations needed for synchronization. Most studies have focused on the dorsal aspect of PMC (dPMC) whereas the ventral PMC (vPMC) function has been poorly investigated. Here we used an online transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) protocol to probe the role of vPMC in an FT task, as compared to a functionally relevant site (dPMC) and an unrelated one. According to the synchronization-continuation paradigm, subjects had to synchronize their tapping to a periodic continuous visual stimulus, and then continue without the external pacer. Two different visual pacers were used: a tapping finger and a hinged tilting bar. We show that TMS reduced the synchronization error when delivered to the vPMC. This effect was larger when the more abstract hinged tilting bar was used as a pacer instead of the finger. No effects were observed in the continuation phase. We hereby offer the first online-TMS evidence of the involvement of vPMC in visually cued FT tasks.

• Face activated neurodynamic cortical networks.

  Ana Susac, Risto J. Ilmoniemi, Douglas Ranken, Selma Supek

  Med. Biol. Engineering and Computing. 01/2011; 49:531-543.
• 4.41

  Impact points

  Spontaneous hemodynamic oscillations during human sleep and sleep stage transitions characterized with near-infrared spectroscopy.

  Tiina Näsi, Jaakko Virtanen, Tommi Noponen, Jussi Toppila, Tapani Salmi, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  PloS one. 01/2011; 6(10):e25415.

  Understanding the interaction between the nervous system and cerebral vasculature is fundamental to forming a complete picture of the neurophysiology of sleep and its role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. However, the intrinsic hemodynamics of slow-wave sleep (SWS) are still poorly known. W... [more] Understanding the interaction between the nervous system and cerebral vasculature is fundamental to forming a complete picture of the neurophysiology of sleep and its role in maintaining physiological homeostasis. However, the intrinsic hemodynamics of slow-wave sleep (SWS) are still poorly known. We carried out 30 all-night sleep measurements with combined near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and polysomnography to investigate spontaneous hemodynamic behavior in SWS compared to light (LS) and rapid-eye-movement sleep (REM). In particular, we concentrated on slow oscillations (3-150 mHz) in oxy- and deoxyhemoglobin concentrations, heart rate, arterial oxygen saturation, and the pulsation amplitude of the photoplethysmographic signal. We also analyzed the behavior of these variables during sleep stage transitions. The results indicate that slow spontaneous cortical and systemic hemodynamic activity is reduced in SWS compared to LS, REM, and wakefulness. This behavior may be explained by neuronal synchronization observed in electrophysiological studies of SWS and a reduction in autonomic nervous system activity. Also, sleep stage transitions are asymmetric, so that the SWS-to-LS and LS-to-REM transitions, which are associated with an increase in the complexity of cortical electrophysiological activity, are characterized by more dramatic hemodynamic changes than the opposite transitions. Thus, it appears that while the onset of SWS and termination of REM occur only as gradual processes over time, the termination of SWS and onset of REM may be triggered more abruptly by a particular physiological event or condition. The results suggest that scalp hemodynamic changes should be considered alongside cortical hemodynamic changes in NIRS sleep studies to assess the interaction between the autonomic and central nervous systems.
• 4.41

  Impact points

  Magnetic-stimulation-related physiological artifacts in hemodynamic near-infrared spectroscopy signals.

  Tiina Näsi, Hanna Mäki, Kalle Kotilahti, Ilkka Nissilä, Petri Haapalahti, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  PloS one. 01/2011; 6(8):e24002.

  Hemodynamic responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This study demonstrates that cerebral neuronal activity is not their sole contributor. We compared bilateral NIRS responses following brain stimulation to those from the sh... [more] Hemodynamic responses evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) can be measured with near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS). This study demonstrates that cerebral neuronal activity is not their sole contributor. We compared bilateral NIRS responses following brain stimulation to those from the shoulders evoked by shoulder stimulation and contrasted them with changes in circulatory parameters. The left primary motor cortex of ten subjects was stimulated with 8-s repetitive TMS trains at 0.5, 1, and 2 Hz at an intensity of 75% of the resting motor threshold. Hemoglobin concentration changes were measured with NIRS on the stimulated and contralateral hemispheres. The photoplethysmograph (PPG) amplitude and heart rate were recorded as well. The left shoulder of ten other subjects was stimulated with the same protocol while the hemoglobin concentration changes in both shoulders were measured. In addition to PPG amplitude and heart rate, the pulse transit time was recorded. The brain stimulation reduced the total hemoglobin concentration (HbT) on the stimulated and contralateral hemispheres. The shoulder stimulation reduced HbT on the stimulated shoulder but increased it contralaterally. The waveforms of the HbT responses on the stimulated hemisphere and shoulder correlated strongly with each other (r = 0.65-0.87). All circulatory parameters were also affected. The results suggest that the TMS-evoked NIRS signal includes components that do not result directly from cerebral neuronal activity. These components arise from local effects of TMS on the vasculature. Also global circulatory effects due to arousal may affect the responses. Thus, studies involving TMS-evoked NIRS responses should be carefully controlled for physiological artifacts and effective artifact removal methods are needed to draw inferences about TMS-evoked brain activity.

• Some considerations about the biological appearance of pacing stimuli in visuomotor finger-tapping tasks.

  Irene Ruspantini, Alessandro D'Ausilio, Hanna Mäki, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Cognitive processing. 01/2011; 12(2):215-8.

  Sensorimotor synchronization is a crucial function for human daily activities, which relies on the ability of predicting external events. Synchronization performance, as assessed in finger-tapping (FT) tasks, is characterized by an anticipation tendency, as the tap generally precedes the pacing even... [more] Sensorimotor synchronization is a crucial function for human daily activities, which relies on the ability of predicting external events. Synchronization performance, as assessed in finger-tapping (FT) tasks, is characterized by an anticipation tendency, as the tap generally precedes the pacing event. This synchronization error (SE) depends on many factors, in particular on the features of the pacing stimulus. Interest is growing in the facilitation effect that action observation has on motor execution. So far, neuroimaging and neurophysiology studies of motor priming via action observation have mainly employed tasks requiring single action instances. The impact of action observation on motor synchronization to periodic stimuli has not yet been tested; to this aim, a synchronization FT task may be an eligible probing task. The purpose of this study was to characterize a biological pacer at the behavioral level and provide information for those interested in studying the brain processes of continuous observation/execution coupling in timed actions using FT tasks. We evaluated the influence of the biological appearance of a pacer (a tapping finger) on SE, when compared to an abstract, kinematically equivalent pacer (a tilting hinged bar) and a more standard stimulus (a pulsating dot). We showed that the continuous visual display of a biological pacer yields comparable results to the abstract pacer, and a more robust performance and larger anticipations than a traditional pulsating stimulus.
• 2.53

  Impact points

  Solving the problem of concomitant gradients in ultra-low-field MRI.

  Jaakko O Nieminen, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Journal of magnetic resonance (San Diego, Calif. : 1997). 09/2010; 207(2):213-9.

  In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), spin precession is detected typically in magnetic fields of the order of 10-100 μT. As in conventional high-field MRI, the spatial origin of the signals can be encoded by superposing gradient fields on a homogeneous main field. However, becaus... [more] In ultra-low-field magnetic resonance imaging (ULF MRI), spin precession is detected typically in magnetic fields of the order of 10-100 μT. As in conventional high-field MRI, the spatial origin of the signals can be encoded by superposing gradient fields on a homogeneous main field. However, because the main field is weak, gradient field amplitudes become comparable to it. In this case, the concomitant gradients forced by Maxwell's equations cause the assumption of linearly varying field gradients to fail. Thus, image reconstruction with Fourier transformation would produce severe image artifacts. We propose a direct linear inversion (DLI) method to reconstruct images without limiting assumptions about the gradient fields. We compare the quality of the images obtained using the proposed reconstruction method and the Fourier reconstruction. With simulations, we show how the reconstruction errors of the methods depend on the strengths of the concomitant gradients. The proposed approach produces nearly distortion-free images even when the main field reaches zero.
• 2.46

  Impact points

  Early cortical responses are sensitive to changes in face stimuli.

  Ana Susac, Risto J Ilmoniemi, Elina Pihko, Doug Ranken, Selma Supek

  Brain research. 07/2010; 1346:155-64.

  Face-related processing has been demonstrated already in the early evoked response around 100 ms after stimulus. The aims of this study were to explore these early responses both at sensor and cortical source level and to explore to what extent they might be modulated by a change in face stimulus. M... [more] Face-related processing has been demonstrated already in the early evoked response around 100 ms after stimulus. The aims of this study were to explore these early responses both at sensor and cortical source level and to explore to what extent they might be modulated by a change in face stimulus. Magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings, a visual oddball paradigm, and a semiautomated spatiotemporal source localization method were used to investigate cortical responses to changes in face stimuli. Upright and inverted faces were presented in an oddball paradigm with four conditions; standards and deviants differing in emotion or identity. The task in all conditions was silent counting of the target face with glasses. Deviant face stimuli elicited larger MEG responses at about 100 ms than standard ones did but only for upright faces. Spatiotemporal source localization up to 140 ms after stimulus revealed activation of parietal and temporal sources in addition to occipital ones, all of which demonstrated differences in locations and dynamics for standards, deviants, and targets. Peak latencies of the identified cortical sources were shorter for deviants than standards, again only for upright faces. Our results showed differences in cortical responses to standards and deviants that were more pronounced for upright than for inverted faces, suggesting early detection of face-related changes in visual stimulation. The observed effect provides new evidence for the face sensitivity of the early neuromagnetic response around 100 ms.
• 2.53

  Impact points

  Improved determination of FID signal parameters in low-field NMR.

  Juhani Dabek, Jaakko O Nieminen, Panu T Vesanen, Raimo Sepponen, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Journal of magnetic resonance (San Diego, Calif. : 1997). 07/2010; 205(1):148-60.

  In this work, novel methods are suggested for assessing signal parameters of the free induction decay (FID) in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The FID signal was recorded in a microtesla field and analysed to determine its relaxation time, amplitude, Larmor frequency and phase. The cha... [more] In this work, novel methods are suggested for assessing signal parameters of the free induction decay (FID) in nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) experiments. The FID signal was recorded in a microtesla field and analysed to determine its relaxation time, amplitude, Larmor frequency and phase. The challenge was posed by the narrow line width, whose related effects were investigated through simulations, also. The developed methods give a new view on FID signal estimation in microtesla as well as lower and higher fields. It is shown that the transverse relaxation time of a sample can be accurately determined in the frequency domain by other means than the Lorentz peak half width. Also, with some realistic approximations, a simple functional form for the power spectrum Lorentz peak shape is proposed. As shown in this work, the inspection of the power spectrum instead of the absorption and dispersion Lorentzians is advantageous in the sense that the waveform is independent of the FID phase. The automatic and efficient methods presented in this work incorporate an integral exponential fit, the fit of the power spectrum Lorentz peak and two ways to determine the FID phase. When there are sufficiently many data points in the Lorentz peak, the power spectrum Lorentz peak shape fit provides a quick, simple and accurate way of determining the amplitude, relaxation time and Larmor frequency of the FID. In the measurements of this work, however, the narrow line width led to establishing a more applicable method which is based on the exponential decay of the Lorentz peak with a temporally moving power spectrum window.
• 1.93

  Impact points

  The relationship between peripheral and early cortical activation induced by transcranial magnetic stimulation.

  Hanna Mäki, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Neuroscience letters. 06/2010; 478(1):24-8.

  The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between peripheral muscle responses (motor evoked potentials, MEP) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the early components of the TMS-evoked EEG response, both of which reflect cortical excitability. Left primary motor corte... [more] The purpose of this study was to assess the relationship between peripheral muscle responses (motor evoked potentials, MEP) evoked by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and the early components of the TMS-evoked EEG response, both of which reflect cortical excitability. Left primary motor cortex of five healthy volunteers was stimulated with 100% of the motor threshold. The relationship between MEP amplitudes and the peak-to-peak amplitudes of the N15-P30 complex of the evoked EEG signal was determined at the single-trial level. MEP and N15-P30 amplitudes were significantly correlated in all five subjects. The results support the view that the amount of direct activation of neurons in M1 evoked by TMS affects both subsequent cortical activation and the activation of the target muscle. Cortical excitability is altered in some neuronal disorders and modulated locally during various tasks. It could thus be used as a marker of the state of health in many cases and as a method to study brain function. The present results improve our understanding of the early components of the TMS-evoked EEG signal, which reflect cortical excitability, and may thus have widespread use in clinical and scientific studies.
• 3.12

  Impact points

  EEG oscillations and magnetically evoked motor potentials reflect motor system excitability in overlapping neuronal populations.

  Hanna Mäki, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. 04/2010; 121(4):492-501.

  To understand the relationship between neuronal excitability reflected by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evoked motor potentials (MEPs) and spontaneous oscillation amplitude and phase. We combined spontaneous EEG measurement with motor cortex TMS and recorded MEP amplitudes from abductor di... [more] To understand the relationship between neuronal excitability reflected by transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) evoked motor potentials (MEPs) and spontaneous oscillation amplitude and phase. We combined spontaneous EEG measurement with motor cortex TMS and recorded MEP amplitudes from abductor digiti minimi (ADM). Midrange-beta oscillations over the stimulated left motor cortex were, on average, weaker before large- than small-amplitude MEPs. The phase of occipital midrange-beta oscillations was related to the MEP amplitudes. The present results support the view that MEP and Rolandic beta oscillation amplitudes are associated with motor cortical excitability. However, oscillations seen in EEG reflect the excitability of a large population of cortical neurons, and MEP amplitude is affected also by spinal excitability and action potential desynchronization. Thus, MEP and EEG oscillation amplitudes are not strongly correlated. In addition, even during rest, motor system excitability appears to be related to activity in occipital areas at frequency ranges associated with visuomotor processing. The ability of spontaneous oscillations and MEPs to inform us about cortical excitability is clarified. For example, it is suggested that oscillatory activity at non-motor sites might be related to motor system excitability at rest.
• 2.08

  Impact points

  Methodology for Combined TMS and EEG.

  Risto J Ilmoniemi, Dubravko Kičić

  Brain topography. 12/2009;

  The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) provides us the possibility to non-invasively probe the brain's excitability, time-resolved connectivity and instantaneous state. Early attempts to combine TMS and EEG suffered from the huge... [more] The combination of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) with simultaneous electroencephalography (EEG) provides us the possibility to non-invasively probe the brain's excitability, time-resolved connectivity and instantaneous state. Early attempts to combine TMS and EEG suffered from the huge electromagnetic artifacts seen in EEG as a result of the electric field induced by the stimulus pulses. To deal with this problem, TMS-compatible EEG systems have been developed. However, even with amplifiers that are either immune to or recover quickly from the pulse, great challenges remain. Artifacts may arise from the movement of electrodes, from muscles activated by the pulse, from eye movements, from electrode polarization, or from brain responses evoked by the coil click. With careful precautions, many of these problems can be avoided. The remaining artifacts can be usually reduced by filtering, but control experiments are often needed to make sure that the measured signals actually originate in the brain. Several studies have shown the power of TMS-EEG by giving us valuable information about the excitability or connectivity of the brain.
• 2.53

  Impact points

  Polarization encoding as a novel approach to MRI.

  Jaakko O Nieminen, Martin Burghoff, Lutz Trahms, Risto J Ilmoniemi

  Journal of magnetic resonance (San Diego, Calif. : 1997). 11/2009;

  In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there have been three basic techniques to encode the spatial origin of the signals, i.e. Fourier and radio frequency encoding and the use of sensitivity information of sensor arrays. In this paper, we introduce a new encoding method, which we call polarization en... [more] In magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), there have been three basic techniques to encode the spatial origin of the signals, i.e. Fourier and radio frequency encoding and the use of sensitivity information of sensor arrays. In this paper, we introduce a new encoding method, which we call polarization encoding. The method utilizes sets of polarizing fields with various spatial profiles; it is tailored for MRI at ultra-low fields (ULF MRI). In ULF MRI, signals from a prepolarized sample are typically detected using an array of SQUID (superconducting quantum interference device) sensors at microtesla fields. The prepolarization is achieved with a field of the order of 10-100mT preceding the signal acquisition. In polarization encoding, the prepolarizing field is varied in a way to gain additional information about the sample. The method may also prove useful for modalities that in the absence of any precession aim to image the DC magnetization profile of a sample.
• 3.00

  Impact points

  Consensus paper: combining transcranial stimulation with neuroimaging.

  Hartwig R Siebner, Til O Bergmann, Sven Bestmann, Marcello Massimini, Heidi Johansen-Berg, Hitoshi Mochizuki, Daryl E Bohning, Erie D Boorman, Sergiu Groppa, Carlo Miniussi, [......], Stephan A Brandt, Matthew F Rushworth, Ulf Ziemann, John C Rothwell, Nick Ward, Leonardo G Cohen, Jürgen Baudewig, Tomás Paus, Yoshikazu Ugawa, Paolo M Rossini

  Brain stimulation. 04/2009; 2(2):58-80.

  In the last decade, combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-neuroimaging studies have greatly stimulated research in the field of TMS and neuroimaging. Here, we review how TMS can be combined with various neuroimaging techniques to investigate human brain function. When applied during neuro... [more] In the last decade, combined transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)-neuroimaging studies have greatly stimulated research in the field of TMS and neuroimaging. Here, we review how TMS can be combined with various neuroimaging techniques to investigate human brain function. When applied during neuroimaging (online approach), TMS can be used to test how focal cortex stimulation acutely modifies the activity and connectivity in the stimulated neuronal circuits. TMS and neuroimaging can also be separated in time (offline approach). A conditioning session of repetitive TMS (rTMS) may be used to induce rapid reorganization in functional brain networks. The temporospatial patterns of TMS-induced reorganization can be subsequently mapped by using neuroimaging methods. Alternatively, neuroimaging may be performed first to localize brain areas that are involved in a given task. The temporospatial information obtained by neuroimaging can be used to define the optimal site and time point of stimulation in a subsequent experiment in which TMS is used to probe the functional contribution of the stimulated area to a specific task. In this review, we first address some general methodologic issues that need to be taken into account when using TMS in the context of neuroimaging. We then discuss the use of specific brain mapping techniques in conjunction with TMS. We emphasize that the various neuroimaging techniques offer complementary information and have different methodologic strengths and weaknesses.

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• 5.74

  Impact points

  Parallel input makes the brain run faster.

  Tommi Raij, Jari Karhu, Dubravko Kicić, Pantelis Lioumis, Petro Julkunen, Fa-Hsuan Lin, Jyrki Ahveninen, Risto J Ilmoniemi, Jyrki P Mäkelä, Matti Hämäläinen, Bruce R Rosen, John W Belliveau

  NeuroImage. 05/2008; 40(4):1792-7.

  In serial sensory processing, information flows from the thalamus via primary sensory cortices to higher-order association areas. However, association cortices also receive, albeit weak, direct thalamocortical sensory inputs of unknown function. For example, while information proceeds from primary (... [more] In serial sensory processing, information flows from the thalamus via primary sensory cortices to higher-order association areas. However, association cortices also receive, albeit weak, direct thalamocortical sensory inputs of unknown function. For example, while information proceeds from primary (SI) to secondary (SII) somatosensory cortex in a serial fashion, both areas are known to receive direct thalamocortical sensory input. The present study examines the potential roles of such parallel input arrangements. The subjects were presented with median nerve somatosensory stimuli with the instruction to respond with the contralateral hand. The locations and time courses of the activated brain areas were first identified with magnetoencephalography (MEG). In a subsequent session, these brain areas were modulated with single-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at 15-210 ms after the somatosensory stimulus while electroencephalography (EEG) was recorded. TMS pulses at 15-40 ms post-stimulus significantly speeded up reaction times and somatosensory-evoked responses, with largest facilitatory effects when the TMS pulse was given to contralateral SII at about 20 ms. To explain the results, we propose that the early somatosensory-evoked physiological SII activation exerts an SII-->SI influence that facilitates the reciprocal SI-->SII pathway - with TMS to SII we apparently amplified this mechanism. The results suggest that the human brain may utilize parallel inputs to facilitate long-distance cortico-cortical connections, resulting in accelerated processing and speeded reaction times. This arrangement could also allow very early top-down modulation of the bottom-up stream of sensory information.
• 6.26

  Impact points

  Early dissociation of face and object processing: A magnetoencephalographic study.

  Ana Susac, Risto J Ilmoniemi, Elina Pihko, Jussi Nurminen, Selma Supek

  Human brain mapping. 04/2008;

  The early dissociation in cortical responses to faces and objects was explored with magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings and source localization. To control for differences in the low-level stimulus features, which are known to modulate early brain responses, we created a novel set of stimuli so... [more] The early dissociation in cortical responses to faces and objects was explored with magnetoencephalographic (MEG) recordings and source localization. To control for differences in the low-level stimulus features, which are known to modulate early brain responses, we created a novel set of stimuli so that their combinations did not have any differences in the visual-field location, spatial frequency, or luminance contrast. Differing responses to face and object (flower) stimuli were found at about 100 ms after stimulus onset in the occipital cortex. Our data also confirm that the brain response to a complex visual stimulus is not merely a sum of the responses to its constituent parts; the nonlinearity in the response was largest for meaningful stimuli. Hum Brain Mapp, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.