ObjectiveTo preliminarily explore the damage effect of stereo electroencephalogram-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation after increasing the number of electrodes in the epileptic foci.MethodsEight cases were included from 42 patients requiring SEEG from the Department of Neurosurgery of the Second Hospital of Lanzhou University during June 2017 to Jan. 2019, of which 6 cases were hypothetical epileptogenic foci located in the functional area or deep in the epileptogenic foci that could not be surgically removed, 2 patients who were unwilling to undergo craniotomy; added hypothetical epileptic foci Electrodes, the number of implanted electrodes exceeds the number of electrodes needed to locate the epileptic foci. After radiofrequency thermocoagulation damages the epileptogenic foci, the therapeutic effect is analyzed.ResultsIn 8 patients, the number of implanted electrodes increased from 1 ~ 6, with an average of (4±2.2), and the number of thermosetting points increased by 2 ~ 10, with an average of (7±3.1); follow-up (9±3.2) months, Epilepsy control status: 3 cases of Engel Ⅰ, 3 cases of Engel Ⅱ, 2 cases of Engel Ⅲ; 8 cases of epileptic seizure frequency decreased≥50%. There was a statistically significant difference in the frequency of attacks before and after thermocoagulation (P<0.05).ConclusionsIncreasing the lesion volume of the epileptic foci can obviously improve the efficacy of epilepsy. SEEG-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation is an effective supplementary method for classical resection.
Objective To research clinical manifestations, electrophysiological characteristics of epileptic seizures arising from diagonal sulci (DS), to improve the level of the diagnosis and treatment of frontal epilepsy. MethodsWe reviewed all the patients underwent a detailed presurgical evaluation, including 5 patients with seizures to be proved originating from diagonal sulci by Stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG). All the 5 patients with detailed medical history, head Magnetic resonance (MRI), the Positron emission computered tomography (PET-CT) and psychological evaluation, habitual seizures were recorded by Video-electroencephalography (VEEG) and SEEG, we review the intermittent VEEG and ictal VEEG, analyzing the symptoms of seizures. Results 5 patients were divided into 2 groups by SEEG, group 1 including 3 patients with seizures arising from the bottom of DS, group 2 including 2 patients with seizures arising from the surface of DS, all the tow groups with seizures characterized by both having tonic and complex motors, tonic seizures were prominent in seizures from left DS, and tonic seizures may absent in seizures from right DS. Intermittent discharges with group1 were diffused, and intermittent discharges with group 2 were focal, but both brain areas of frontal and temporal were infected. Ictal EEG findings were consistent with the characteristics of neocortical seizures, the onset EEG shows voltage attenuation, seizures from bottom of DS with diffused EEG onset, and seizures from surface of DS with more focal EEG onset, but both frontal and anterior temporal regions were involved. Conclusionthe symptom of seizures arising from DS characterized by tonic and complex motor, can be divided into seizures arising from the bottom of DS and seizures from the surface of DS, with different electrophysiological characters.
For refractory epilepsy requiring surgical treatment in clinic, precise preoperative positioning of the epileptogenic zone is the key to improving the success rate of clinical surgical treatment. Although the use of electrical stimulation to locate epileptogenic zone has been widely carried out in many medical centers, the preoperative implantation evaluation of stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) and the interpretation of electrical stimulation induced EEG activity are still not perfect and rigorous. Especially, there are still technological limitations and unknown areas regarding electrode implantation mode, stimulation parameters design, and surgical prognosis correlation. In this paper, the clinical background, application status, technical progress and development trend of SEEG-based stereo-electric stimulation-induced cerebral electrical activity in the evaluation of refractory epilepsy are reviewed, and applications of this technology in clinical epileptogenic zone localization and cerebral cortical function evaluation are emphatically discussed. Additionally, the safety during both of high-frequency and low-frequency electrical stimulations which are commonly used in clinical evaluation of refractory epilepsy are also discussed.
ObjectiveTo investigate the application of stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) in the refractory epilepsy related to periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH). MethodsTen patients with drug-resistant epilepsy related to PNHs from Guangdong Sanjiu Brain Hospital and the First Affiliated Hospital of Jinan University from April 2017 to February 2021 were studied. Electrodes were implanted based on non-invasive preoperative evaluation. Then long-term monitoring of SEEG was carried out. The patterns of epileptogenic zone (EZ) were divided into four categories based on the ictal SEEG: A. only the nodules started; B. nodules and cortex synchronous initiation; C. the cortex initiation with early spreading to nodules; D. only cortex initiation. All patients underwent SEEG-guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RFTC), with a follow-up of at least 12 months. ResultsAll cases were multiple nodules. Four cases were unilateral and six bilateral. Eight cases were distributed in posterior pattern, and one in anterior pattern and one in diffused pattern, respectively. Seven patients had only PNH (pure PNH) and three patients were associated with other overlying cortex malformations (PNH plus). The EZ patterns of all cases were confirmed by the ictal SEEG: six patients were in pure type A, two patients were in pure type B, one patient in type A+B and one in type A+B+C, respectively. In eight patients SEEG-guided RF-TC was targeted only to PNHs; and in two patients RFTC was directed to both heterotopias and related cortical regions. The mean follow up was (33.4±14.0) months (12 ~ 58 months). Eight patients (in pure type A or type A included) were seizure free. Two patients were effective. None of the patients had significant postoperative complications or sequelae. ConclusionThe epileptic network of Epilepsy associated with nodular heterotopia may be individualized. Not all nodules are always epileptogenic, the role of each nodule in the epileptic network may be different. And multiple epileptic patterns may occur simultaneously in the same patient. SEEG can provide individualized diagnosis and treatment, be helpful to prognosis.
ObjectiveTo evaluate the application of stereotactic electrode implantation on precise epileptogenic zone localization. MethodRetrospectively studied 140 patients with drug-resist epilepsy from March 2012 to June 2015, who undergone a procedure of intracranial stereotactic electrode for localized epileptogenic zone. ResultsIn 140 patients who underwent the ROSA navigated implantation of intracranial electrode, 109 are unilateral implantation, 31 are bilateral; 3 patients experienced an intracranial hematoma caused by the implantation. Preserved time of electrodes, on average, 8.4days (range 2~35 days); Obseved clinical seizures, on average, 10.8 times per pt (range 0~98 times); There were no cerebrospinal fluid leak, intracranial hematoma, electrodes fracture or patient death, except 2 pt's scalp infection (1.43%, scalp infection rate); 131 pts' seizure onset area was precisely localized; 71 pts underwent SEEG-guide resections and were followed up for more than 6 months. In the group of 71 resection pts, 56 pts were reached Engel I class, 2 were Engel Ⅱ, 3 was Engel Ⅲ and 10 were Engel IV class. ConclusionTo intractable epilepsy, when non-invasive assessments can't find the epileptogenic foci, intracranial electrode implantation combined with long-term VEEG is an effective method to localize the epileptogenic foci, especially the ROSA navigated stereotactic electrode implantation, which is a micro-invasive, short-time, less-complication, safe-guaranteed, and precise technique.
ObjectiveTo study the therapeutic efficacy of stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG)-guided radiofrequency thermo-coagulation ablation (RF-TC) in the treatment of tuberous sclerosis (TSC) related epilepsy and to investigate the prediction of the therapeutic response to SEEG-guided RF-TC for the efficacy of the subsequent surgical treatment. MethodsWe retrospectively analyze TSC patients who underwent SEEG phase II evaluation from January 2014 to January 2023, and to select patients who underwent RF-TC after completion of SEEG monitoring, study the seizure control of patients after RF-TC, and classify patients into effective and ineffective groups for RF-TC treatment according to the results of RF-TC treatment, compare the surgical outcomes of patients in the two groups after SEEG, to explore the prediction of surgical outcome by RF-TC treatment. Results59 patients with TSC were enrolled, 53 patients (89.83%) were genetic detection, of which 28 (52.83%) were TSC1-positive, 21 (39.62%) were TSC2-positive, and 4 (7.54%) were negative, with 33 (67.34%) de novo mutations. The side of the SEEG electrode placement: left hemisphere in 9 cases, right hemisphere in 13 cases, and bilateral hemisphere in 37 cases. 37 patients (62.71%) were seizure-free at 3 months, 31 patients (52.54%) were seizure-free at 6 months, 29 patients (49.15%) were seizure-free at 12 months, and 20 patients (39.21%) were seizure-free at 24 months or more. 11 patients had a seizure reduction of more than 75% after RF-TC, and the remaining 11 patients showed no significant change after RF-TC. There were 48 patients (81.35%) in the effective group and 11 patients (18.65%) in the ineffective group. In the effective group, 22 patients were performed focal tuber resection laser ablation, 19 cases were seizure-free (86.36%). In the ineffective group, 10 patients were performed focal tuber resection laser ablation, only 5 cases were seizure-free (50%), which was a significant difference between the two groups (P<0.05). ConclusionsOur data suggest that SEEG guided RF-TC is a safe and effective both diagnostic and therapeutic treatment for TSC-related epilepsy, and can assist in guiding the development of future resective surgical strategies and determining prognosis.
ObjectiveTo explore the clinical features and EEG features of gelastic seizures, and analyze its value of lateral localization of epileptogenic area. MethodsAll patients with gelastic seizures admitted to the Sanbo Brain Hospital of Capital Medical University between January 2014 and December 2023 were reviewed and analyzed for history, symptomatology, imaging, electroencephalographic features and surgical protocols in patients who met the inclusion criteria and were followed up for at least 1 year, and surgical efficacy was assessed by using the Engel grading. ResultsA total of 51 patients with gelastic seizures were included, there were 32 (62.75%) males and 19 (37.25%) females, 21 (41.18%) with hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) and 30 (58.82%) with non-hypothalamic hamartomas. The age of onset was earlier in the HH group than in the non-HH group, with a median age of onset of 24.00 (0.00 ~ 96.00) and 78.00 (1.00 ~ 396.00) months (P<0.001). There are three types of laughter according to their characteristics: smiling or pleasant expressions, laughing out loud, crying or bitter laughter, with smiling or pleasant expressions being the most common (49.02%). Simple laughter is rare in all patients and is often accompanied by other manifestations such as autonomic symptoms, automatic movements, complex movements, and tonic seizures. Most of the HH group started with laughter whereas in the non-HH group laughter appeared mostly in the mid to late stages (P=0.007). Most of the HH group (57.14%) had preserved consciousness whereas most of the non-HH group (83.33%) had loss of consciousness (P=0.003). The interictal discharges in the HH group were mostly diffuse or multiregional, whereas those in the non-HH group were mostly regional (P=0.035). The onset of EEG during the seizure period in the HH group was mostly diffuse, whereas those in the non-HH group were mostly regional, mainly in the frontal and temporal regions, but there was no significant difference between the two groups (P=0.148). The non-HH group was mostly seen in those with definite lesions, and the most common type of lesion was FCD (focal cortical dysplasia, FCD). All patients enrolled in the group underwent surgical treatment, and stereoelectroencephalogram (SEEG) electrode implantation was performed in 13 cases in the HH group and in 17 cases in the non-HH group. 61.90% of the patients in the HH group had an Engel grade I, and 73.33% of the patients in the non-HH group had an Engel grade I. ConclusionsGelastic seizures has a complex neural network, with common causes other than hypothalamic hamartomas, and is most commonly seen in frontal or temporal lobe epilepsy, as well as in the insula or parietal lobe, with the most common type of lesion being FCD. The symptomatology, stage of onset, and electroencephalographic features of gelastic seizures can help in the differential diagnosis, and SEEG can help define the origin of the seizure and its diffusion pathway. The overall prognosis of surgical treatment was better in both the hypothalamic hamartomas and non-hypothalamic hamartomas groups.