Geodesic EEG

[Bernard]

This looks promising:

The new Geodesic EEG (electroencephalogram) system makes it easier for physicians to pinpoint seizures. The new system is a non-invasive way to accurately locate and map seizures as they happen, thus reducing the need for surgical brain monitoring. With traditional surgical monitoring, electrodes must be placed on the brain's surface. This requires drilling into or removing areas of the skull. With the Geodesic EEG system, there is no need for this.

"It's a different kind of device that records from 256 channels, and not just on the top of the head, but also all around the head," Miller said. "The purpose of it is to define very precisely where in the brain electrical activity comes from. The idea is to record the brain waves from a person and then run a special computer program to calculate the area of the brain producing the signal."

EEG sensors are arranged in a Web-like structure and placed on the head. The trick is to monitor the patient at the time they experience a seizure. Older methods were maybe able to determine which side of the brain the seizure is coming from and possibly an approximate location of the seizure area.

"With this device, if we could capture a seizure, we can identify it, localize the seizure within a centimeter or two of where the seizure is coming from, so it's far more precise," Miller said.

New tests can pinpoint seizures