Assessment of intrauterine brain activity has been a longstanding goal of perinatology. Recently, we and other groups have demonstrated the feasibility of detecting fetal brain activity using fMEG. This research is very challenging due to the extremely low amplitude of fetal brain signals, but could provide an important tool for the study of brain activity in utero.
In combination with fMEG, we hope to utilize neonatal MEG to follow the development of brain activity throughout the perinatal and infant period. Neonatal MEG studies are particularly interesting and challenging because the development of brain during this period is so rapid. MEG can provide accurate spatiotemporal characterization of infant brain activity. Spatial characterization is generally difficult with EEG because the signals are distorted by gaps between the bones of the infant skull.