Qualitative and Quantitative Comparative Analysis of Common Normal Variants and Physiological Artifacts in MEG and EEG

Abstract

AbstractMagnetoencephalography (MEG) and electroencephalography (EEG) provide complementary insights into brain activity, yet their distinct biophysical principles influence how normal neurophysiological patterns and artifacts are represented. This study presents a comprehensive qualitative and quantitative analysis of common physiological variants and artifacts in simultaneously recorded MEG and EEG data. We systematically examined patterns such as alpha spindles, sensorimotor rhythms, sleep-related waveforms (vertex waves, K-complexes, sleep spindles, and posterior slow waves of youth), as well as common artifacts including eye blinks, chewing, and movement-related interferences. By applying time-domain, time-frequency, and source- space analyses, we identified modality-specific differences in signal representation, source localization, and artifact susceptibility. Our results demonstrate that MEG provides a more spatially focal representation of physiological patterns, whereas EEG captures broader, radially oriented cortical activity. Mutual information analysis indicated that MEG-derived independent components exhibited greater topographical variability and higher information content for neurophysiological activity, while EEG components were more homogeneous. Signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) analysis confirmed that MEG gradiometers capture the highest total information, followed by magnetometers and then EEG. Notably, physiological signals such as vertex waves and K-complexes exhibited significantly higher total information in MEG, whereas EEG was more sensitive to high-amplitude artifacts, including swallowing and muscle activity. These findings highlight the distinct strengths and limitations of MEG and EEG, reinforcing the necessity of multimodal approaches in clinical and research applications to improve the accuracy of neurophysiological assessments.