title: Neuroimaging of epilepsy.
abstract: Imaging is pivotal in the evaluation and management of patients with seizure disorders. Elegant structural neuroimaging with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may assist in determining the etiology of focal epilepsy and demonstrating the anatomical changes associated with seizure activity. The high diagnostic yield of MRI to identify the common pathological findings in individuals with focal seizures including mesial temporal sclerosis, vascular anomalies, low-grade glial neoplasms and malformations of cortical development has been demonstrated. Positron emission tomography (PET) is the most commonly performed interictal functional neuroimaging technique that may reveal a focal hypometabolic region concordant with seizure onset. Single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) studies may assist performance of ictal neuroimaging in patients with pharmacoresistant focal epilepsy being considered for neurosurgical treatment. This chapter highlights neuroimaging developments and innovations, and provides a comprehensive overview of the imaging strategies used to improve the care and management of people with epilepsy.
authors.affiliation: University of Campinas, Department of Neurology, Campinas, SP, Brazil.
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cendes
authors.affiliation: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, Bethesda, MD, USA.
authors.forename: William H
authors.initials: WH
authors.lastname: Theodore
authors.affiliation: Division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Benjamin H
authors.initials: BH
authors.lastname: Brinkmann
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, 2nd Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague and Motol University Hospital, Czech Republic.
authors.forename: Vlastimil
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Sulc
authors.affiliation: Division of Epilepsy, Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
authors.forename: Gregory D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Cascino
mesh_terms: D004569:Electroencephalography; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D059906:Neuroimaging
keywords: 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose–positron emission tomography (18F-FDG-PET); Epilepsy; computed tomography (CT); drug-resistant focal epilepsy; ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT); magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); surgical treatment of epilepsy