MEG Technology

Le Bonheur Children's, a leader in neurosciences, offers the latest in state-of-the-art technology for diagnosing and treating neurological disorders. Together with world-renown physicians and experts, Le Bonheur Neuroscience Institute is one of only a few centers in the country with the expertise available to incorporate this cutting-edge technology into a world-class Neuroscience Institute for children.

Magnetoencephalography Technology

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neurophysiological technique that measures the magnetic fields generated by neuronal activity of the brain. The locations of the magnetic fields are used to locate the sources of activity within the brain. These locations of activity are then superimposed on anatomical images, such as MRI, to provide information about both the structure and function of the brain.

Neurological Applications

MEG is primarily used to determine if surgery is appropriate for epilepsy patients whose seizures cannot be controlled by drug therapy as well as for patients scheduled for other neurosurgical procedures of the brain. A MEG scan is a non-invasive technology that is used to find the precise spot in the brain where the seizures come from. The MEG is used to locate the exact regions of the brain responsible for various functions and to determine the best surgical route to keep these functions intact. These images guide the neurosurgeons and help provide the best outcomes possible.

Surgical Advantages

Advantages of MEG for surgical planning include:

• Direct measure of brain function
• High temporal resolution
• Excellent spatial resolution
• Adaptable to mapping many functions - sensory, motor, language, memory cortex
• Completely non-invasive
• Complementary to other modalities

Clinical Expertise

Andrew Papanicolaou, PhD is the director of the Pediatric Clinical Neuroscience Center at the University of Tennessee Health Science Center and Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital. Dr. Papanicolaou is an international expert in the use of MEGfor functional brain mapping. He founded the first professional society dedicated to the clinical use of MEG and has pioneered its clinical use.

In addition to Dr. Papanicolaou, the MEG Clinic at Le Bonheur is fully supported by the interdisciplinary team at the Le Bonheur Neuroscience Institute.

For more information or to schedule an appointment e-mail neuroscience@lebonheur.org.