News

Russian and Italian Institutions Buy Elekta Equipment for 3D Brain Mapping

• By Dian Schaffhauser
• 01/05/09

Moscow Municipal University of Psychology and Education in Russia and the University of Trento in Italy have both ordered magneto encephalography (MEG) technology from Elekta Neuromag, which provides equipment for non-invasive measurement of brain activity.

The MEG is a tool for studying normal brain function and brain disorders by mapping brain activity by measuring magnetic fields produced by the brain. Electrical activity in neurons in the brain produce magnetic fields that pass through brain tissue and the skull, which can then be recorded outside the head.

Neuroscientists and others in related fields at the Moscow university plan to use the MEG for clinically oriented research applications, such as autism in children, as well as for cognitive neuroscience and neuropsychology research such as the study of human emotion and brain abnormalities.

"We are extremely excited about our upcoming installation," said Tatiana Stroganova, head of the Developmental Psychophysiology Department. "We plan to use the MEG extensively to study temporal dynamics of cortical networks underlying normal and aberrant brain organization of perception, attention and emotion."

Researchers at the University of Trento's Center of Mind/Brain Sciences (CIMeC) plan to use the equipment to explore sensory processing, attention and action control, language, formation of concepts, and cognitive development.