Magnetoencephalography Maps Electrical Storms of Seizure Activity

A new study uses magnetoencephalography (MEG) to  help surgeons more accurately plan for surgical treatment in an epileptic patient.

According to researchers at the Simon Fracer University, neuroscientist Dr. Ryan D'Arcy and colleagues used MEG technology to produce detailed spatial maps of critical language functions so that they could better enable pre-operative planning for better surgical outcomes.

The researchers worked to display a cover image that catches seizure 'storm' activity that can develop before a surgical procedure. Critical language activity is displayed in various colors, ranging from warmer reds to cooler blues, and shows the involvement of the left and right hemispheres of the brain.

However, researchers note that in the case of this study, the participant showed no seizure symptoms.

"When carrying out brain surgery it's imperative not only to determine where the areas are to treat but whether the critical regions that carry out higher functions like language and memory will be affected," said D'Arcy, a professor in SFU's schools of engineering and computing sciences who also holds the Surrey Memorial Hospital Foundation B.C. Leadership Chair in Multimodal Technology for Healthcare Innovation at Surrey Memorial Hospital., via a press release.

The brain mapping technology was developed in Halifax, according to researchers.

More information regarding the study can be found in the journal Human Brain Mapping.

Seizure activity is much more common than you would believe. And many who will never be diagnosed with any type of seizure disorder will deal with the issue at some point in their life. In fact, according to the World Health Organization, up to 10 percent of the world's population will have at least one seizure.