The localization of spontaneous brain activity: first results in patients with cerebral tumors

Objective: From EEG studies, it is known that structural brain lesions are accompanied by abnormal rhythmic electric activity. With the better spatial resolution of MEG, MEG dipole analysis can extend the knowledge based on E EG power spectra. This study presents the first results of a completely aut omatic analysis method applied to spontaneous MEG, Methods: Spontaneous MEG data of 5 patients with cerebral brain tumors and 4 controls were collected using a whole-head MEG system. Signals were bandp ass-filtered with cut-off frequencies according to standard EEG bands. A mo ving dipole model was fitted to samples with at least twice the average sam ple power. Dipoles explaining 90% or more of the magnetic variance were pro jected onto a matched MR scan. Results: In controls, dipole distributions are symmetrical with respect to the mid-sagittal plane whereas distributions in patients often are asymmetr ical to it. Dipoles describing gamma activity were located contralateral, a nd dipoles describing delta and theta activity were located ipsilateral to lesions. Conclusions: The automatic method gives plausible 3-dimensional information about generator foci of abnormal slow waves and other rhythms with respect to lesion foci and thereby adds physiological knowledge to that derived fr om EEG power spectra. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ireland Ltd. All rights res erved.