A bioengineer at the University of Texas at Arlington and his doctorate student have identified the brain cells responsible for epileptic episodes in youngsters.
The paper was released in the journal Brain.
Papadelis and his team measured the electric and magnetic signals generated by neuronal cells in the human brain and identified the functional networks responsible for the onset of seizures in children with epilepsy using noninvasive techniques and advanced computational approaches. This novel technique precisely detects these functional networks.
The findings concluded: “Our findings suggest that virtual implantation of sensors through source imaging can non-invasively identify highly connected hubs in patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, even in the absence of frank epileptiform activity. Surgical resection of these hubs predicts outcome better than dipoles.”
“Non-invasive mapping of these hubs can predict surgical outcome better than conventional ESI/MSI. Our method may augment surgical planning by optimizing iEEG recordings and reducing surgical mortality. Most importantly, it may improve the outcome of patients with DRE undergoing surgery, particularly those who were previously ineligible for neurosurgery due to minimal or absent epileptiform activity in their electrophysiological recordings.”
