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Magnetoencephalography (MEG) system for functional brain mapping
Clinicians and researchers are increasingly adopting the fast-growing technology of MEG for non-invasive investigations of the brain’s magnetic fields. The leading MEG provider, Elekta manufactures Elekta Neuromag, a sophisticated MEG system that is extensively used in pre-surgical localization of epilepsy and mapping of the eloquent cortex, including motor functions, hearing and vision.
Clinical research applications of MEG include such neurological and psychiatric disorders as autism, traumatic brain injury, memory and brain function, schizophrenia, depression, as well as various learning disorders, including dyslexia. Furthermore, MEG is extensively used in normal cognitive functions that underlie memory and language.
To record the extremely small and fleeting brain signals in real-time, the sensor array of the Elekta Neuromag system is equipped with 102 triple-sensor elements evenly distributed over the surface of the patient’s head. The helmet array is configured with 306 independently sampled sensors.
- Highest available immunity to magnetic interference, either patient-related or external.
- Continuous upgrade path.
- Flexible and highly developed software.
- Ultra-low system noise, facilitating accurate diagnosis.
- Fully supine and seated positions that are easily changed, increasing patient comfort and versatility of the system.
- Low cryogen consumption holds down operating costs.
- Comprehensive training of scientific and technical personnel in MEG study methodology, use of the system, and basic system maintenance.
The first MEG system using a shielded room was operated at the Francis Bitter Magnet Laboratory at MIT for many years. It was under the direction of group leader David Cohen, the inventor of magnetoencephalography. Dr. Cohen first measured the magnetoencephalogram in 1968.
In the seventies, Dr. Cohen conceived of the highly successful concept of planar gradiometers and their orthogonal pairs. Relying on the focal sensitivity of such sensors, he also introduced the arrow map presentation of MEG data. The "Triple Sensor", based on his idea of combining the focal sensitivity of a pair of planar gradiometers with the deep source detection capability of a magnetometer is now used in all modern Elekta Neuromag® MEG systems.
Today, Dr. Cohen holds the position of Associate Professor of Radiology at the Harvard Medical School and Massachusetts General Hospital, site of an advanced Elekta Neuromag 306-channel MEG system. The system brings to fruition many of the concepts that Dr. Cohen pioneered.
MIT, the original birthplace of MEG, is now the home of the first Elekta Neuromag TRIUX installed in the US.
