Practical Aspects of Running Developmental Studies in the MEG

Developmental neuroimaging studies offer a unique opportunity to gain insight into the underpinnings of various cognitive functions by examining age-related changes in brain structure and function. There is an increasing body of neuroimaging literature discussing issues related to testing children in developmental studies (Crone et al. Human Brain Mapping 31:835-837, 2010). These deal with fMRI developmental studies and discuss methods (Luna et al. Human Brain Mapp 31:863-871, 2010), data interpretation (Poldrack Human Brain Mapp 31:872-878, 2010), and theoretical approaches (Karmiloff-Smith Human Brain Mapp 31:934-941, 2010). There has not yet been an equivalent discussion for MEG developmental studies. This paper will address issues specific to data acquisition, analysis, and interpretation for MEG developmental studies.