What is MEG!
At the Magnetoencephalography (MEG) lab at the Norman Fixel Institute for Neurological Diseases at UF Health, innovation and compassion converge to make a difference in the lives of the patients we serve.
Our team of experts uses MEG routinely to treat both epilepsy and brain tumors in adults and children. We also collaborate with researchers, both within our university and beyond, in discovering more advanced applications of MEG and unraveling the intricacies of brain function. UF Health is leveraging MEG technology to deliver enhanced patient care and treatment options in the field of neurology. The better we can understand brain function, the better we can help our patients thrive.
What is MEG?
MEG is a safe, non-invasive brain imaging technology. It measures the magnetic fields produced when neurons in the brain communicate with each other. These magnetic fields are extremely small, but MEG sensors are highly sensitive, providing real-time visuals of brain function with millisecond precision. Data collected from MEG sensors helps pinpoint which areas of the brain are affected by disorders, allowing for more effective treatment options and research applications.
In the field of neurology, MEG technology is advancing our understanding of how the brain works. MEG imaging elevates treatments for neurological disease, including movement disorders, dementias and nervous system issues. Using the MEG in clinical trials and patient care has yielded positive findings for surgical treatment of disorders like epilepsy or brain tumor treatment. Adult and pediatric neurology patients benefit from this learning and optimization in many ways.
How is the MEG used?
MEG is extremely valuable for both neurological patients and human neuroscience research. In patients with epilepsy or brain tumors, the MEG maps abnormalities and critical brain functions like speech, movement, sensation, and vision. This detailed mapping is crucial in planning surgical treatments for epilepsy or brain tumors to protect healthy tissue while removing abnormal brain tissue.
As a research tool, MEG offers insight into how the brain processes sensory information, performs motor tasks, and experiences cognition and emotions. This helps experts better understand the brain functions behind cognitive processes and neurological disorders.
Through combining MEG with other neuroimaging techniques, researchers and clinicians can develop better treatment strategies and make new scientific discoveries.
MEG for Neurology
Notably, UF Health’s Neurology Department utilizes the MEG in pre-surgical care for both adult and pediatric neurology patients with epilepsy or brain tumor diagnoses.
Localization of abnormalities: MEG helps pinpoint the exact sources of brain irregularities known as epileptiform discharges. This mapping provides crucial information informing treatment strategies for enhanced patient care.
Localization of key functions: MEG identifies and maps areas of the brain responsible for speech, motor control, auditory and visual functions. This allows a neurologist to safeguard these areas in a surgical setting and improves treatment outcomes.
MEG for Epilepsy
Precise location of where irregularities are occurring in the brain help our providers provide the most optimal treatment outcomes for epileptic patients and epilepsy surgery.
MEG for Movement Disorders
Dedicated research with the MEG is providing valuable insights which our providers and researchers plan to utilize in optimizing and treating our patients.
MEG for Brain Tumors
Utilizing nan-second precision, providers are able to map a patient’s brain and locate the tumor prior to surgical removal, thus protecting healthy brain tissue.
