Pediatric magnetoencephalography

Abstract

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a technology used in pediatric and adult epilepsy that records magnetic fields produced from electric currents in the brain. MEG can locate epileptogenic zone(s), lateralize language functions, localize sensorimotor cortex, and identify visually evoked fields. It is a powerful technology with key advantages in pediatrics. The majority of its limitations are resource driven. With advancing technology, MEG will become a more prominent and valuable tool used in pediatric epilepsy and epilepsy surgery in the future. We review MEG and provide illustrative cases to showcase its usage.

Minimally Invasive Epilepsy Surgery

“…4). 14 The magnetic field is perpendicular to the electric field recorded by EEG. Therefore, in cases where the dipole of a discharge is tangential, EEG may not produce a signal, but MEG will.…”

“…Therefore, in cases where the dipole of a discharge is tangential, EEG may not produce a signal, but MEG will. 14 This uniqueness makes MEG a valuable technology that can provide congruent data when EEG does not offer helpful information. The cost of MEG units is decreasing over time, and the utility of the technology appears to be on the rise.…”

“…The cost of MEG units is decreasing over time, and the utility of the technology appears to be on the rise. 14 New MEG units offer simultaneous EEG and MEG recordings. This combined technology potentially offers a new horizon of data that can help patients but has largely yet to be studied in depth.…”

Developmental milestones as ACNS turns one year old

“…Nordli and Galan provide a detailed case-based review of magnetoencephalography, a valuable tool for identifying an epileptogenic zone and for pinpointing language, motor, and visual functions in relation to a brain lesion. 4 Fernández and Peters provide an intriguing glimpse of potential clinical uses of artificial intelligence and algorithm-driven machine learning to process data and improve performance. 5 The ACNS research articles have also been outstanding, although we cannot highlight all of them.…”

“…These authors were instrumental in unraveling the clinical features, genetics, and molecular mechanisms of pyridoxine dependency, so not surprisingly, their review is a tour de force . Nordli and Galan provide a detailed case‐based review of magnetoencephalography, a valuable tool for identifying an epileptogenic zone and for pinpointing language, motor, and visual functions in relation to a brain lesion 4 . Fernández and Peters provide an intriguing glimpse of potential clinical uses of artificial intelligence and algorithm‐driven machine learning to process data and improve performance 5 …”