Imaging Techniques in the Localization of Epileptiform Abnormalities

Abstract

The success of surgical intervention in the partial epilepsies is crucially affected by the accuracy of pre- and intraoperative source location techniques. Several approaches to the localization problem have been employed, that with the longest history being scalp-recorded EEG. Despite considerable advances in other imaging technologies such as MRI and PET, localization via the electrical signals generated by epileptic brain continues to provide the data most relied upon in pre-operative assessment. The present paper presents an overview of the contribution of various localization techniques. It is argued that electrical signals of the brain, as represented by EEG and MEG, remain the best methods to locate sources, and that the application of analysis techniques presently under investigation will further improve the accuracy of the non-invasive scalp-EEG approach.