What is electrocorticography?

Electrocorticography (ECOG) is a procedure for connecting sensors called electrodes directly to the surgically exposed human brain to measure and analyze its electrical activity. External electrodes in contact with the head head can also detect the active functioning of the brain, but this is not accurate enough to diagnose certain types of brain disorders. One example is frequent, serious and debilitating attacks from a health condition called epilepsy. The potential way to handle it is to identify and remove only a small part of the brain that triggers them without damaging any critically important adjacent brain.

X -ray can penetrate soft human tissue to reveal the shape of the skull, but doctors of neurology who want to see the brain inside need other technologies. One of the best methods is magnetic resonance imaging, commonly called MRI. Instead of X -ray radiation use powerful magnets to change the body at an atomic level and record their Effect and display them in JEmotional details.

A picture of the brain may show abnormal structures. However, there are many brain disorders that are not caused by detectable physical things, but rather abnormal functioning of the complex organ. Neurologists need different technologies to assess whether the brain normally works. One of the most important of them is a simple brain map. Accumulated medical research has assigned control of human functions - such as sight, language or muscles - to very specific brain sites.

with a map of the brain in hand, if a patient neurologist has abnormal symptoms, knows where to look, but needs technology to measure the state of the functional condition of this place. One means is a functional MRI, which creates a picture of the brain in areas highlighted with greater blood concentrations filled with oxygen. Assumpje is that it corresponds to the fuel of the necessary increased brain activity in such areas. Brain cellsAnd nerve cells work by receiving, generating and transferring electrical signals to other cells.

For more direct representation of brain activity, a neurologist needs to measure its electrical output. The most commonly used technology is electroencefalog or EEG. A precisely mapped network of sensitive sensors called electrodes is connected to the scalp. Each measures brain waves, changes in small voltages caused by the electrical activity of the brain area directly below it. Doctors have learned to recognize formulas in the resulting chart to constantly testify to certain neurological disorders, including the most common - epilepsy.

epilepsy is characterized by uncontrollable seizures, often accompanied by loss of consciousness and muscle cramps. They are basically the result of electrical brain overload and can be categorized on the basis of how the event is running. Many epileptics, suddenly considered physically disabled, were able to handle their condition using modern anticonvulsivedrugs that were first introduced at the age of 90.

among many types of epilepsy, especially difficult to heal, are those that are running or come from a particular brain location. EEG may have identified general location, but the images may have revealed any unusual abnormalities. If the drug is ineffective, the neurologist may have any rep time to perform craniotomy, remove the skull, part of the skull bone. Direct visual control of the exposed brain can reveal a scar or other likely cause.

At this stage, the neurosurgeon will normally perform electrocorticography. Like EEG, the smaller and finer network of electrodes will be placed directly in the brain to record the electrical activity of the area. This wzievous origin of epileptic episodes, called the epileptogenic zone. The position is recorded on the highest brain layer called its cortex.

Removing the zone zone removes the trigger of the seizures. The main objective of the surgeon is surgically consumer part as a small amount of brain tissue,as necessary. In conjunction with electrocorticography, the entire area surrounding the epileptogenic zone can be probed by direct cortical electric stimulation (DCES). The procedure uses a pocket indicator that brings a slight electric shock. With local anesthetics and conscious, the patient may report sensation or muscle movement from stimulation.

Electrocorticography can identify an area of ​​about 0.4 inches (1 cm) square. With DCES mapping, the surgeon can narrow it to an even smaller area for surgical removal. In this process, it is able to avoid the harmful areas of the healthy brain, which can be critical to normal UMAN hfunction.