Epileptic seizures and the interictal epileptiform discharges both have similar waveforms. And a method to effectively extract features that can be used to distinguish seizures is of crucial importance both in theory and clinical practice. We constructed state transfer networks by using visibility graphlet at multiple sampling intervals and analyzed network features. We found that the characteristics waveforms in ictal periods were more robust with various sampling intervals, and those feature network structures did not change easily in the range of the smaller sampling intervals. Inversely, the feature network structures of interictal epileptiform discharges were stable in range of relatively larger sampling intervals. Furthermore, the feature nodes in networks during ictal periods showed long-term correlation along the process, and played an important role in regulating system behavior. For stereo-electroencephalography at around 500 Hz, the greatest difference between ictal and the interictal epileptiform occurred at the sampling interval around 0.032 s. In conclusion, this study effectively reveals the correlation between the features of pathological changes in brain system and the multiple sampling intervals, which holds potential application value in clinical diagnosis for identifying, classifying, and predicting epilepsy.
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.
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 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.
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.