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FOR the first time, babies and young children will be able to have their brain activity scanned, thanks to a portable scanner. This could also be useful for imaging the brains of people with movement disorders and other conditions that mean they can鈥檛 undergo traditional scans.

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) involves analysing the brain鈥檚 electrical activity via the magnetic fields it generates just outside the skull. Until now, MEG has involved keeping very still inside a scanner.

Now, at the University of Nottingham, UK, and his colleagues have designed a portable MEG device that is worn like a helmet, allowing people to move freely during scanning. They tested the device on four people while they moved their fingers and got results similar to those achieved using a standard MEG scanner (Nature, ).

The volunteers were then scanned while drinking tea or playing a ball game 鈥� neither of which is possible in a typical MEG scanner.

The device was made portable by replacing traditional sensors, which require a heavy and bulky cooling system, with miniature ones that detect the brain鈥檚 magnetic field in a different way. These sensors can be attached directly to the scalp using a 3D-printed helmet that can be personalised to fit any size of head.

The wearer can鈥檛 wander too far though: the scanner only works inside a special room that helps counteract Earth鈥檚 natural magnetic field. But there are still plenty of possible applications, says Bowtell. 鈥淚t could be used to analyse brain activity while people navigate, for instance,鈥� he says. 鈥淵ou can also have more natural interactions between people 鈥� two people each wearing a scanner and speaking face-to-face.鈥�

鈥淵ou can scan brains during more natural interactions, such as two people speaking face-to-face鈥�

It makes it possible to scan toddlers and babies as well, to study their development, he adds.

This article appeared in print under the headline 鈥淲earable scanner snaps moving brain鈥�