Epilepsy and Brain Mapping

Taking seizure localization to the next level.

3 million Americans have epilepsy, a disorder manifested by seizures. Individuals may also experience effects on emotional health and cognitive function.

2/3 are effectively treated with medications.

For the 1/3 that have drug-resistant epilepsy, some may be candidates for surgical treatment.

Surgical treatment options for drug-resistant epilepsy may include:

• Resective surgery, which involves removing part of the brain or lesions that cause seizures.
• Neurostimulation procedures, where targeted electrical impulses disrupt seizure activity.

These treatments require precise identification of the seizure focus.

Advanced brain mapping pinpoints where seizures originate, improving surgery outcomes.

New technologies can accurately identify the seizure focus. Enhancement of current technologies are being applied in new ways to improve surgeons' abilities to find and disrupt the source of the seizure, and tailor their approach to each individual.

Morphometric Analysis Program (MAP) Imaging

• Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is taken.
• MAP imaging highlights thickened areas of the cortex, which may indicate an area of seizure onset.
• Focal cortical dysplasia, a surgically treatable cause of epilepsy, can be identified by MAP imaging.

High Frequency Oscillation Density Mapping (HFODM)

• The area of the brain where the seizure originates (seizure-onset zone) generates bursts of high-frequency activity.
• Normal brain tissue generates weaker bursts of high-frequency activity, and this activity varies in different brain areas.
• HFODM creates spatial maps of high-frequency brain activity, allowing surgeons to locate the seizure-onset zone.

What do these advancements mean for people with epilepsy?

Ongoing research is constantly changing the field of epilepsy treatment.

• Talk to a doctor

  See if new developments apply to you.

• Seek a second opinion

  With rapid progress, not all doctors may be aware of new therapies.

• Keep up hope

  New therapies are in research today that may apply in the future.

Source: MayoClinic.org.