A layer potential approach to inverse problems in brain imaging

Abstract We study the inverse source localisation problem using the electric potential measured point-wise inside the head with stereo-ElectroEncephaloGraphy (sEEG), the electric potential measured point-wise on the scalp with ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG) or the magnetic flux density measured point-wise outside the head with MagnetoEncephaloGraphy (MEG). We present a method that works on a wide range of models of primary currents; in particular, we give details for primary currents that are assumed to be smooth vector fields that are supported on and normally oriented to the grey/white matter interface. Irrespective of the data used, we also solve the transmission problem of the electric potential associated with a recovered source; hence we solve the cortical mapping problem. To ensure that the electric potential and normal currents are continuous in the head, the electric potential is expressed as a linear combination of double layer potentials and the magnetic flux density is expressed as a linear combination of single layer potentials. Numerically, we solve the problems on meshed surfaces of the grey/white matter interface, cortical surface, skull and scalp. A main feature of the numerical approach we take is that, on the meshed surfaces, we can compute the double and single layer potentials exactly and at arbitrary points. Because we explicitly study the transmission of the electric potential in head when using magnetic data, the coupling of electric and magnetic data in the source recovery problem is made explicit and shows the advantage of using simultaneous electric and magnetic data. We provide numerical examples of the source recovery and inverse cortical mapping using synthetic data.