Being the only brain imaging device with high spatial and temporal resolutions, MEG has numerous applications in neurosciences research: early diagnosis of Alzheimer’s disease, rehabilitation after strokes, diagnosis of mental disorder, autism…
MEG is used clinically to locate the area of the brain that is causing the epileptic seizure and provides the neurosurgeon with the location of the area to be resected. One third of the 50 million patients with epilepsy cannot be treated with medication and are candidates for surgery. MEG significantly improves the outcome of epilepsy surgery.
MEG is also used clinically to map functional areas of the brain prior to tumor removal, affecting 1.6 million people per year. It is a crucial tool to preserve important functional areas of the brain during surgery and avoid irreversible disabilities resulting from their damage.
Over 60 million people a year are admitted to hospital with suspected brain injuries of which 20% will go on to develop permanent disability. 90% of diagnosis is currently done based on evaluation of external symptoms alone. X-Ray scanner and MRI are not sensitive enough to detect mild Traumatic Brain Injury (mTBI). MEG can be used to detect tiny changes in brain function and connectivity, and thus provides an objective measure of brain function and its changes, making possible to do an objective diagnosis of mTBI.
If you are interested by this technology, its clinical applications, or if you wonder how to join this adventure...
Spinoff of CEA-Leti Grenoble