A new 'brain-filming' technique developed by Italian researchers will give scientists a much cleaer view of what happens inside the head of a person suffering from epilepsy or a migraine.
Until now, the only way to see what brain activity is happening where, and to track precisely when it happens, has been to surgically implant probes - an approach which understandably won few fans.
But Francesco Di Russo, a neurologist at the Rome-based Santa Lucia Foundation, is about to publish details of a research programme he led in which a non-invasive method was successfully used.
"The new method will allow scientists to carry out detailed studies of healthy people, or of people with migraines or epilepsy," Di Russo said.
Experts from Rome's University of Motor Sciences and California's San Diego University used the method to examine closely the reactions to visual information in the brains of 24 healthy people.
The approach involves putting magnetic resonance (MRI) images of the brain together with electro-encephalogram recordings of electrical brainwaves that reflect fluctuating mental states.
The result was a moving 3-D model of the brain in which it was possible to see the brain reacting as people were shown pictures and a series of mental responses were triggered.
The crucial novelty for researchers is the ability to see the whole brain at the same time so that it becomes clear exactly which parts of the brain become active, in what order and how fast.
"The study shows that by putting together knowledge from different methods of research, it is possible to overcome the limits of each one," said Di Russo.
