Questionnaire survey of current status and problems in clinical applications of magnetoencephalography (MEG) in Japan

• Shiraishi Hideaki

  Department of Pediatrics, Hokkaido University Graduate School of Medicine

• Ozaki Isamu

  Faculty of Health Sciences, Aomori University of Health and Welfare

• Iguchi Yoshinobu

  Integrated Neuroscience Research Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science

• Ishii Ryouhei

  Department of Psychiatry, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

• Kamada Kyousuke

  Department of Neurosurgery, Asahikawa Medical University

• Kameyama Shigeki

  Nishi-Niigata Chuo National Hospital

• Tsuyuguchi Naohiro

  Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine

• Nakasato Nobukazu

  Department of Epileptology, Tohoku University Graduate School of Medicine

• Nagamine Takashi

  Department of System Neuroscience, School of Medicine, Sapporo Medical University

• Hirata Masayuki

  Department of Neurosurgery, Osaka University Graduate School of Medicine

• Yumoto Masato

  Department of Clinical Laboratory, The University of Tokyo

• Watanabe Yutaka

  Department of Psychiatry, National Center Hospital, National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry

• Hashimoto Isao

  Kanazawa Institutes of Technology

Bibliographic Information

Other Title

• 本邦における脳磁図検査施行の実態とその問題点
• ホンポウ ニ オケル ノウジズ ケンサ シコウ ノ ジッタイ ト ソノ モンダイテン

Abstract

We conducted a postal questionnaire survey among 36 universities or research institutes possessing equipments for magnetoencephalograph (MEG) in Japan in May 2009. The main outcome measures were answers to questions on detailed clinical information about patients referred to MEG testing and the protocols of recording and analyzing the MEG. Questions also were posed about current status and problems in clinical applications of the MEG, including any technical or financial problems doctors or medical technologists in charge of MEG examinations were facing at each facility.<br>Twenty four institutions responded to the questionnaire (response rate 67%). Annually 150 to 200 patients were referred to MEG testing in most institutes; but, in some institutes, the annual number of MEG examinations did not reach 50. Among clinical diagnoses of patients referred to MEG testing, epilepsy and brain tumors occupied about 50%, followed by dementia, cerebrovascular stroke and neurodegenerative disease. The ages of the patients were widely distributed; elderly patients over 60 years old reached about 16%.<br>Neurosurgeons and psychiatrists mainly assumed the responsibility for analyzing MEG results and for operating MEG machine. No laboratory medical technologists were posted in half of the institutions surveyed. The protocols of recording MEG consisted of spontaneous cerebral magnetic fields, somatosensory, auditory and visual evoked fields, movement-related magnetic fields and language dominancy analysis. The staffs in many institutes longed for a software package of automated epileptic spike detection when analyzing spontaneous cerebral magnetic fields in patients with epilepsy.<br>The annual running costs for MEG facilities ranged 5 to 20 million yen, resulting in a heavy debt in 83% of the institutions. Expanding clinical applications of MEG testing as well as increasing reimbursement from National Health Insurance are needed to reduce the debt in future.

Journal

• Japanese Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology

  Japanese Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology 40 (3), 119-130, 2012

  Japanese Society of Clinical Neurophysiology

Keywords

• magnetoencephalography
• epilepsy
• somatosensory evoked field
• auditory evoked field
• medical insurance

Details

• CRID: 1390282680486687360
• NII Article ID: 10031159668
• NII Book ID: AA11410258
• DOI: 10.11422/jscn.40.119
• ISSN: 2188031X
• ISSN: 13457101
• NDL BIB ID: 030737751
• Web Site: https://ndlsearch.ndl.go.jp/books/R000000004-I030737751
• Text Lang: ja
• Data Source:
  • JaLC
  • NDL
  • CiNii Articles
  • KAKEN
• Abstract License Flag: Disallowed