Magnetoencephalography (MEG) and magnetic source imaging (MSI) are becoming increasingly important modalities in the functional neuroimaging of children. MEG is the magnetic equivalent of electroencephalography (EEG) and is thus capable of noninvasively characterizing neuronal activity on a millisecond time scale. MSI combines this functional information provided by MEG with the high anatomic detail of conventional magnetic resonance imagings. Considerable effort is placed on analyzing the configuration and number of spike waves by MEG that relate to a primary epileptiform discharge. Such MEG spike clusters are corroborated now by intraoperative invasive subdural grid monitoring that show good correlation in the majority of cases. Another important role of MEG relates to the mapping of critical regions of brain function using known paradigms for speech, motor, sensory, visual, and auditory brain cortex. In this review, I would introduce the background of MEG, data acquisition and analysis, and clinical application of MEG in children with epilepsy.
Brain ; Child* ; Electroencephalography ; Epilepsy ; Functional Neuroimaging ; Humans ; Magnetoencephalography* ; Neurons