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Our Technology

New Brain Imaging Capabilities

The Alexian Brothers Medical Center is the only community-based hospital in the United States to have complete and direct access to this full range of brain imaging technologies for planning neurosurgical interventions.

The Illinois MEG Center houses a 306-channel whole-head MEG system with capabilities for recording 64-channels of simultaneous EEG data. Together MEG and EEG are used to map out control centers for critical brain functions, and for the localization of epileptic activity. There are fewer than 30 MEG centers in the United States. The Illinois MEG center is able to perform studies on both awake and sedated adults and children, and it is the only MEG Center presently in Illinois with this full range of capabilities. The Center is also equipped with specialized hardware and software for integrating MEG and EEG data with data collected from other brain imaging methods, and a unique 3D-printer for making physical models of each patient's brain. Techniques integrated at the Center include:

  • Magnetoencephalography (MEG) – a non-invasive method for tracking and recording patterns of brain activity in both space and time.
  • Electroencephalography (EEG) – a method used to evaluate brain activity related to seizures and other neurological illnesses
  • Structural Magnetic Resonance Imagine (MRI) – a technique that provides detailed pictures of brain structure
  • Functional MRI (fMRI) – a method which assesses brain function by measuring changes in blood flow that affect sensory, motor, or cognitive tasks
  • Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy (MRS) – a technique that evaluates brain metabolism and biochemistry which allows us to study both healthy and unhealthy brain tissue
  • Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) – an imaging strategy that allows Alexian scientists to track fiber interconnections between brain regions which can be helpful when treating tumors or trauma within the brain
  • Positron Emission Tomography (PET) and Single Photon Emission Computer Tomography (SPECT) – two tools for tracking blood flow and metabolism within the brain.