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Cortical evaluation of cochlear implants using magnetoencephalography (MEG)
Background
MEG (short for “magnetoencephalography”) is a method for imaging human brain function using highly sensitive superconducting sensors. MEG has proven to be an important advance in the study of auditory brain function because it:
- has excellent spatio-temporal resolution
- is completely silent and so does not introduce acoustic artefacts during measurements; and
- is easy to use even with young children.
For these reasons MEG is a very attractive candidate for imaging auditory cortical function in cochlear implant patients. However, the cochlear implant device itself is incompatible with conventional MEG instruments due to the interference produced by the electronics of the implant.
Detail
This project aims to develop and fabricate and MEG system that enable routine measurements of auditory cortical function in implant recipients while coping with the interference produced by the implant. The MEG system for cochlear implants will be the third MEG system to be installed at Macquarie University, so we call it MEG III.
MEG III will be installed in the Australian Hearing Hub at Macquarie University in early 2013. This novel brain imaging system will be used to carry out previously impossible investigations into the effects of deafness and cochlear implantation on central auditory processing and language processing in both adults and children.
This project is a collaboration between investigators at Macquarie University ,CSIRO Materials Science and Engineering and Kanazawa Institute of Technology in Japan.
![[title]](http://www.hearingcrc.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/profile_260/content/people/Blake Johnson.jpg "A/Prof Bake Johnson")
![[title]](http://www.hearingcrc.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/profile_260/content/people/stephen crain_crop.jpg "Distinguished Professor Stephen Crain")
Publications from this Project
No publications available for this project at this time.