Brain surface current density mapping in pianists and non-pianists

Brain surface current density reconstructions are widely used to analyze magnetoencephalographic data arising from electrical activity in the human brain. Commonly, this mapping is performed in single subjects. We present a methodology to apply brain surface current density mapping to group studies. The technique includes stepwise transformation of the magnetic sensors into a standard sensor system and linear scaling of individual heads in Talairach space. We demonstrate the usefulness of the technique with a comparison of the motor activation in pianists and non-pianists while listening to piano pieces.