Which one of the following statements about MEG and EEG is incorrect:

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Question restatement: The prompt asks which statement about MEG and EEG is incorrect, and provides four options to evaluate.
Option 1: 'MEG and EEG both measure aggregates of neuronal activity.' This is accurate. Both modalities record summed electrical or magnetic activity from populations of neurons, typically synchronized postsynaptic activity, rather than single-neuron activity.
Option 2: 'MEG signals have better source identification.' In many cases, MEG offers superior spatial specificity for cortical sources, especially for tangential currents, because magnetic fields are less distorted by the skull and scalp compared to electric potentials. This makes source localization more precise under certain conditions, so this statement is generally considered true.
Option 3: 'MEG signals are more susceptible to signal decays caused by increased sensor-to-brain distances.' This claim is questionable. While all signals decay with distance, EEG signals are strongly affected by skull and scalp conductivity, which can degrade spatial information and lead to greater attenuation with distance in the electric potential domain. MEG, being less affected by the conductive properties of the skull, tends to be less sensitive to distance-related decay than EEG. Therefore, describing MEG as more susceptible to distance-related decay is not correct.
Option 4: 'Both MEG and EEG use contactless sensors.' This is incorrect. MEG uses sensors (typically SQUID or other magnetometers) housed in a cryogenic sensor array that are not in direct contact with the scalp, but EEG requires electrodes placed on the scalp with conductive gel or paste—definitely contact-based. Thus, stating that both use contactless sensors is false.
In summary, option 3 contains a claim that contradicts the usual understanding of how distance effects differ between MEG and EEG, and option 4 contradicts the fundamental nature of EEG sensor contact. Options 1 and 2 accurately reflect common knowledge about MEG and EEG, while options 3 and 4 contain inaccuracies that make them incorrect interpretations of the modalities.

PSYC30018_2025_SM1 Exam: Neuroscience and the Mind (PSYC30018_2025_SM1)- Requires Respondus LockDown Browser

Which one of the following statements about MEG and EEG is incorrect:

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