Which brain recording technique uses superconducting sensors to measure magnetic fields produced by neural activity?

Magnetoencephalography uses superconducting sensors to measure magnetic fields produced by neural activity.

When groups of neurons generate electrical currents, they also produce extremely weak magnetic fields. Magnetoencephalography, commonly abbreviated MEG, detects these fields outside the head and uses their timing and distribution to estimate the sources of brain activity.

Most MEG systems use superconducting quantum interference devices, or SQUIDs, which must be cooled to very low temperatures. Because the signals are tiny, MEG recordings take place in magnetically shielded rooms that reduce interference from the environment.

MEG and EEG both have excellent millisecond-scale temporal resolution, but they measure different physical signals. MEG measures magnetic fields, whereas EEG measures voltage differences at the scalp. MEG is used in research and clinical planning, including the localization of epileptic activity and the study of sensory and language processing.