Ictal EEG source imaging in frontal lobe epilepsy leads to improved lateralization compared with visual analysis.
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the utility of EEG source imaging to lateralize ictal patterns in frontal lobe epilepsy, which were nonlateralized by standard EEG analysis.


METHODS
Prospective analysis of 17 seizures in 8 patients with unilateral frontal lobe epilepsy MRI lesions and nonlateralizing ictal scalp EEG. We applied four EEG source imaging techniques (phase maps, symmetric dipoles, low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis, and classical low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis recursively applied) to the averaged seizure pattern. We tested (1) the ability of these techniques to lateralize seizure patterns, (2) the agreement of the lateralization result with MRI lesion side and subdural EEG recordings, individually for each method and for concordance of all.


RESULTS
We found lateralizing results in 5 of 17 seizures when analyzing phase maps, 8 of 17 when analyzing dipoles, and 5 of 17 in both classical low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis recursively applied and low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis. No discordance with the MRI lesion side was seen when analyzing phase maps, whereas dipole analysis was discordant to the MRI lesion in two seizures, classical low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis recursively applied in one, and low-resolution brain electromagnetic tomography analysis in two. Agreement between all imaging methods was found in three seizures (three patients), all in line with the side of the MRI lesion.


CONCLUSIONS
Advanced EEG review methods and source localization provide useful lateralizing information in difficult frontal lobe epilepsy seizure patterns.
*Institute of Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom; †Department of Neurology, University of Muenster, Muenster, Germany; ‡Telemetry Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, London, United Kingdom; and §BESA GmbH, Grafelfing/Munich, Germany.
Stjepana
S
Kovac
Umair J
UJ
Chaudhary
Roman
R
Rodionov
Laura
L
Mantoan
Catherine A
CA
Scott
Louis
L
Lemieux
Tim
T
Wehner
Michael
M
Scherg
Beate
B
Diehl
D000328:Adult; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods*; D017034:Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D055815:Young Adult