What is the primary focus of a MEG scan?

A MEG scan, or magnetoencephalography, specifically measures brain activity by detecting the magnetic fields generated by neuronal electrical activity. This technique provides a real-time view of brain function, allowing researchers and clinicians to understand how different areas of the brain respond during various tasks or stimuli.

The focus on measuring brain activity via magnetic fields is significant because it allows for high temporal resolution, meaning that it can track changes in brain activity on a millisecond scale. This is particularly useful in both clinical settings for diagnosing conditions such as epilepsy and in research contexts to explore cognitive processes.

In contrast, detecting brain waves pertains more to techniques like EEG, while visualizing anatomy is the domain of methods like MRI. Assessing blood flow is typically associated with functional imaging techniques like fMRI, which measures changes related to blood flow and is indicative of brain activity but is not the primary focus of MEG scans. Thus, the specific emphasis of MEG on magnetic fields distinguishes it from these other methods.