Friday, October 4, 2013

Epilepsy Patients Help Decipher the Brain

Epilepsy patients are working with scientists at Stanford Medical Center to better map the brain. Implanted electrodes used to record the source of a seizure can also provide “functional mapping” of the brain. Using painless electrical pulses, doctors can locate the position of various abilities like vision or motor control.

These researchers are also working in collaboration with a Stanford music professor to translate electroencephalogram (EEG) recordings into sound with “human-like tones.” Their hope is to create a device that could act like a stethoscope for the brain, transforming brain signals into sound, therefore allowing doctors to detect non-convulsive seizures without surgery.

Read the series of articles and listen to the audio here: