Advanced EEG/MEG source localization using fast math to map brain activity
Official title: CRSNS: Development of EEG/MEG Source Reconstruction with Fast Multipole Method
Funded at Worcester Polytechnic Institute · NIH-11380872 · Data updated 2026-11-12
Researchers will build a faster, more accurate brain activity map from EEG/MEG data to help understand responses to antidepressant treatments.
Quick facts
| Grant type | R01 grant |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Worcester Polytechnic Institute NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Worcester, United States) |
| Project start | September 22, 2023 |
| Project end | August 31, 2027 |
| Funding year | 2026 |
| Award (this year) | $194,142 |
| NIH project number | 5R01EB035484-04 |
| Project ID | NIH-11380872 on NIH RePORTER |
Who could benefit from this research
✓Could help
Individuals undergoing psychiatric treatment or with conditions affecting brain activity who could benefit from improved brain mapping during or after treatment.
✕Less likely to help
Healthy individuals without psychiatric conditions might not directly benefit from the developed clinical mapping tools.
What this research studies
This project aims to create a new, high-speed pipeline for localizing where brain signals originate from EEG and MEG recordings. It will combine a charge-based Boundary Element Method with Fast Multipole acceleration and a novel inverse problem approach to map activity across many potential brain sources in real time. The work includes developing precise head models and validating the system with MEG-compatible EEG hardware. If successful, the technology could deepen our understanding of patient brain responses during treatment and overall mental well-being. The team will coordinate across multiple institutions to design, verify, and demonstrate the approach with high-density sensing configurations.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: It could lead to faster and more accurate brain activity maps that inform treatment decisions and monitoring for people undergoing antidepressant therapies.
How similar studies have gone: Previous methods provided partial improvements in source localization, but this project aims for near real-time, high-resolution results with new hardware integration.
Where this research is happening
-
Worcester Polytechnic Institute
Worcester, United States Active
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Makaroff, Sergey N — Worcester Polytechnic Institute
- Study coordinator: Makaroff, Sergey N
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About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page.