Translational neuroimaging

The H.U.B’s Translational Neuroimaging Department has two leading edge technologies: 

• Magnetoencephalography (MEG) records brain activity in a totally non-invasive way to a high degree of precision in terms of time (millisecond) and space (a few mm).  MEG has 2 clinically recognised indications:  

1. to precisely pinpoint the epileptic source to be operated on in the case of refractory epilepsy;   
2. to precisely locate functionally important areas of the brain  (for language, mobility, vision, etc.) in relation to a brain tumour or lesion that has to be operated on.   

The department also contributes internationally to developing the MEG of the future based on a new sensor technology  known as optical pumping magnetometers. This MEG system can be fitted directly to the scalp  and offers a precision that is superior to the present system.   

• PET-MRI is a technology that combines magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and a  PET-Scan. It makes it possible to visualise the brain’s anatomy and functioning simultaneously. It is very useful for studying the brain’s structure and functioning in the case of brain tumours, multiple sclerosis, cognitive disorders  such as Alzheimer’s, certain learning difficulties in children, autism spectrum disorders, etc.   

The functional neuroimaging platform at the ULB – of which the Translational Neuroimaging Department and the Neuroanatomy and Neuroimaging Laboratory  (LN2T) headed by Professor Xavier De Tiège are a part – enables researchers from the ULB’s Institute of Neurosciences, together with other Belgian laboratories and universities, to have access to MEG  and PET-MR technology. Within the ULB itself, research relating to these two devices concentrates on its sensomotor, language and cognitive functions. It is a question of studying how and to what degree certain brain diseases (epilepsy, tumours, Alzheimer’s disease, multiple sclerosis) affect these major brain functions.