Answers to Frequently Asked Questions About Brain Mapping

Q. Does the BEAM hurt?
A. Absolutely not. Our clinical team ensures your comfort during the process, which takes less than an hour. Brain mapping is non-invasive — you will not receive any injections in conjunction with the test. Electrodes will connect you to the recording apparatus, but you will not receive any electrical current. You remain completely alert during and after the procedure.


Q. What is the technique for brain mapping?
A. BEAM is based on the electroencephalograph (EEG), but it samples on many more points for longer durations than the standard EEG. The BEAM computer will clear extraneous (artifact) measurements prior to collecting your data, and then process it via statistical analyses to report altered brain wave functions.
Q. Why might I be a candidate for brain mapping?
A. The brain is a complex network of nerve cells (neurons). These special cells relay messages between areas of the brain tasked with important functions such as cognition, memory, attention, perception, emotion, and processing external stimuli (such as what we see, hear, touch, smell, and taste). When neurons fail to perform optimally, the entire network — the brain — may fail to function normally. Because the brain also signals and regulates the body in many ways, abnormalities that originate within the brain may contribute to, or worsen, physical illness anywhere in the body.
Q. What will a brain map reveal?
A. The procedure reveals critical data about how the brain processes signals on three levels:
neurological — have the neurons been subjected to degeneration or damage?
biochemical — do neurons receive adequate cellular nutrients?
electrical — do the neurons process signals without distortion or delay?
Q. How is BEAM data evaluated?
A. Through the BEAM computer, your data is compared to a control group, matched to you for age and sex. This is performed through the entire length of the test. If at any time the data deviates significantly from the controls, then a printout of that information, as a ‘map,’ is generated.
Q. Why is the BEAM unique?
A. BEAM is the only clinically validated medical technology that provides full color, real-time images that depict overactive and underactive regions of the brain. MRI and CAT procedures assess the anatomical aspect, not the signal activity of the brain. Information from MRI or CAT scans can supplement BEAM results.
Q. How does the PATH Medical team integrate the brain mapping technique into a medical care program for my individual needs?
A. Your maps form an essential element in the comprehensive head-to-toe diagnostic protocol at PATH Medical. As a medical facility that focuses on mind/body health, we find that the condition of your brain is intimately related to the condition of your overall well-being. By addressing the underlying causes of illness — which frequently relate to brain health, we start you on a path to prolonged wellness.