The need for liquid Helium in conventional MEG systems has some disadvantages. Which of the following statements is not one of them?

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BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

The question asks which statement is not a disadvantage of using liquid Helium in conventional MEG systems. We'll assess each option in turn to understand whether it represents a disadvantage specific to liquid Helium usage.
Option 1: 'Sensor arrays are not custom-built to suit different head shapes and sizes.' If this were true, it would indeed be a disadvantage, because non-customizable sensors could reduce signal quality and comfort across participants. In practice, MEG research often emphasizes head-mitted or easily adaptable sensor arrays to better match individual head geometry, so a lack of customization would be a drawback. Therefore this statement describes a potential disadvantage.
Option 2: 'Participants cannot move freely when being scanned.' Traditional MEG setups require participants to stay very still to avoid artifacts, which is indeed a disadvantage for comfort and naturalistic tasks. This constraint is a well-known limitation of MEG technology and contributes to the perceived disadvantage of MEG scanning.
Option 3: 'The need for a magnetically shielded room.' MEG systems typically require magnetically shielded rooms to reduce ambient magnetic noise; this is a major infrastructure requirement. However, this constraint is not a disadvantage caused by the use of liquid Helium itself; it is a general necessity of conducting MEG measurements due to extreme magnetic sensitivity, regardless of the cooling medium. In that sense, while still a consideration, it is not a disadvantage specific to liquid Helium usage. This makes it different from the other two statements, which describe drawbacks more directly tied to the helium-based MEG setup.
Option 4: 'Sensors cannot be placed too close to the head, hence leading to signal loss.' MEG sensor proximity to the head is crucial for signal strength, and limitations on placing sensors close to the head can reduce signal quality. This is a direct disadvantage related to sensor configuration and the physics of MEG signal detection, and it is tied to the practical implementation of the system, including those in helium-cooled setups.

In summary, Options 1, 2, and 4 describe practical disadvantages tied to MEG operation or sensor configuration, whereas Option 3 describes a broader infrastructural requirement (magnetically shielded room) that applies to MEG in general and is not a disadvantage unique to the use of liquid Helium. The distinction hinges on whether the factor is specific to the helium cooling aspect or to MEG systems as a whole; the shielding requirement is more a general MEG constraint than a helium-specific drawback.

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The need for liquid Helium in conventional MEG systems has some disadvantages. Which of the following statements is not one of them?

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