Magnetoencephalography (MEG) maps neurological function by measuring the magnetic fields produced by the brain's natural electrical activity. MEG imaging provides physicians with clear data to help locate the source of seizures and minimize operative risk in patients with epilepsy or brain lesions by clearly defining what regions of the brain are critical to speech and motor function.
The imaging technique is noninvasive and pain free, and patients remain conscious throughout the procedure, enabling physicians to ask them to engage in activities – reading, moving, speaking, listening or remembering – to stimulate important areas within the brain.
This allows physicians to track the sequence of activation of brain structures during normal (e.g., word comprehension) or abnormal (e.g., epileptic discharge) functions. MEG can also be used to scan pediatric patients.
When the condition is epilepsy, MEG pinpoints exact seizure onset locations. When surgery is planned, MEG precise brain maps help plot optimum surgical paths, minimizing damage to critical sensory, motor or language-specific cortexes.
MEG is an important new tool for use in diagnosing and treating:
Memorial Hermann brought the first MEG to Houston in 1997. Today, our MEG Elekta Neuromag® TRIUX remains one of only a few in clinical use not just in Houston, but throughout Texas, Louisiana, Arkansas and Oklahoma.
MEG is also used to locate eloquent cortex for optimal surgical planning to minimize the risk of functional deficits in patients with brain tumors or intractable epilepsy. Since 2007, more than 800 patients have undergone MEG at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center.
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