Modelling optically pumped magnetometer interference as a mean (magnetic) field

Abstract Here we propose that much of the magnetic interference observed when using optically pumped magnetometers can be modeled spatially as a mean (magnetic) field. We show that this approximation reduces sensor level variability and substantially improves statistical power. This model does not require knowledge of the underlying neuroanatomy nor the sensor positions. It only needs information about the sensor orientation. Due to the model’s low rank there is little risk of removing substantial neural signal. However, we provide a framework to assess this risk for any sensor number, design or subject neuroanatomy. We find that the risk of unintentionally removing neural signal is reduced when multi-axis recordings are performed. We validated the method using a binaural auditory evoked response paradigm and demonstrated that the mean field correction increases reconstructed SNR in relevant brain regions in both the spatial and temporal domain. Considering the model’s simplicity and efficacy, we suggest that this mean field correction can be a powerful preprocessing step for arrays of optically pumped magnetometers.