Human Brain Magnetite And Squid Magnetometry

Abstract

Most SQUID-based biomagnetic studies of the human brain have sought to measure magnetic fields generated by electrical activity. In this paper we report preliminary results of the first systematic survey of brain tissue using SQUID moment magnetometers. In an attempt to locate and quantify the amount and concentrations of ferromagnetic materials present, using these techniques, we have found evidence suggesting the presence of small single-domain crystals of magnetite with a concentration of 10 ppb in cerebellar and cerebral cortical samples of human brain. The presence of these particles in vivo could have an influence on both the recording of evoked magnetic potentials and on some of the spin echoes recorded with MRI techniques.

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