Using optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) to detect cerebellar training signals (360G-Wellcome-212422_Z_18_Z)

£99,718

The neurophysiology of the human cerebellum is almost unstudied because the main non-invasive recording methods (fMRI, fNIRS, EEG and MEG) are all unsuitable and there is no clinical therapy requiring sub-dural recordings. This technical gap has significantly limited our ability to understand its role in areas such as cognition (1). A timely opportunity has now arisen with the development of a new form of MEG sensor ("room temperature" optically pumped magnetometers, OPMs) that promises to overcome this barrier (2). The key goal of this seed award is to develop the use of OPMs to record electrophysiological signals from the human cerebellum, confirm the sources of these signals, and pilot methods to record during the learning of new motor and cognitive skills. The latter, in particular, will open up an entirely new research field, allowing us for the first time to study not only when the cerebellum engages in cognition but how it is trained and what training signals it responds to, and thus to also understand what it learns. This work will advance our understanding of cerebellar physiology, with impact on many cerebellar disorders (developmental and degeneration disorders; stroke, tumour resection, trauma, alcoholism etc.).

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Grant Details

Amount Awarded 99718
Applicant Surname Miall
Approval Committee Science Seeds Advisory Panel
Award Date 2018-05-21T00:00:00+00:00
Financial Year 2017/18
Grant Programme: Title Seed Award in Science
Internal ID 212422/Z/18/Z
Lead Applicant Prof Christopher Miall
Partnership Value 99718
Planned Dates: End Date 2020-02-01T00:00:00+00:00
Planned Dates: Start Date 2018-11-01T00:00:00+00:00
Recipient Org: Country United Kingdom
Region West Midlands