BRAIN IMAGING STUDY IN LONDON

What studies have been conducted?

We have carried out fMRI and MEG studies to investigate brain responses to specific sounds, and better understand the mechanisms behind human auditory perception.

Typically, participants underwent a hearing test, tinnitus pitch-matching tasks and various sensory computer tasks. The tasks were followed by a 3T fMRI or MEG brain scan. fMRI measures blood-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) signal which your brain blood flow gives off naturally as brain regions become activated while we play you various sounds, mainly short tones. It is painless, and safe, as long as you do not have any magnetic metal implants (such as pacemakers). MEG measures magnetic fields produced outside your head naturally as neurons fire. It is silent, painless, and safe. Before being invited to the Centre a researcher checked that participants were suitable for scanning. For the scan, participants were asked to lie down with head and torso inside the scanner for up to 60 minutes and watched a subtitled movie on Netflix/BBC whilst sounds were played to them through headphones.

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Where do the studies take place?

All testing will take place at the UCL Welcome Center for Human Neuroimaging in London (12 Queen Square, London WC1N 3AZ)

 

If you are interested in taking part in future studies please get in touch or fill in the form below!