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OBJECTIVE The authors aimed to examine the relationship between mesial temporal subregion ablation volume and seizure outcome in a diverse cohort of patients who underwent stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampotomy (SLAH) for mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). METHODS Seizure outcomes and pre- and postoperative images were retrospectively reviewed in patients with MTLE who underwent SLAH at a single institution. Mesial temporal subregions and the contrast-enhancing ablation volume were manually segmented. Pre- and postoperative MR images were coregistered to assess anatomical ablation. Postoperative MRI and ablation volumes were also spatially normalized, enabling the assessment of seizure outcome with heat maps. RESULTS Twenty-eight patients with MTLE underwent SLAH, 15 of whom had mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS). The rate of Engel class I outcome at 1 year after SLAH was 39% overall: 47% in patients with MTS and 31% in patients without MTS. The percentage of parahippocampal gyrus (PHG) ablated was higher in patients with an Engel class I outcome (40% vs 25%, p = 0.04). Subregion analysis revealed that extent of ablation in the parahippocampal cortex (35% vs 19%, p = 0.03) and angular bundle (64% vs 43%, p = 0.02) was positively associated with Engel class I outcome. The degree of amygdalohippocampal complex (AHC) ablated was not associated with seizure outcome (p = 0.30). CONCLUSIONS Although the AHC was the described target of SLAH, seizure outcome in this cohort was associated with degree of ablation for the PHG, not the AHC. Complete coverage of both the AHC and PHG is technically challenging, and more work is needed to optimize seizure outcome after SLAH.

Background Low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumor (LEAT) is highly responsive to surgery in general. The appropriate surgical strategy remains controversial in temporal LEAT. The aim of this study is to analyze the surgical seizure outcome of temporal LEAT, focusing on the aspects of surgical strategy. Methods Sixty-one patients from a single epilepsy center with temporal LEAT underwent surgery. The surgical strategy was according to the multidisciplinary presurgical evaluation. Electrocorticogram (ECoG)-assisted resection was utilized. Surgical extent including lesionectomy and extended resection was described in detail. Seizure outcome was classified as satisfactory (Engel class I) and unsatisfactory (Engel classes II–IV). Results After a median follow-up of 36.0 (30.0) months, 83.6% of patients achieved satisfactory outcome, including 72.1% with Engel class Ia. There was 39.3% (24/61) of patients with antiepileptic drug (AED) withdrawal. Use of ECoG (χ2 = 0.000, P > 0.1), preresection spike (χ2 = 0.000, P = 0.763), or spike residue (P = 0.545) was not correlated with the seizure outcome. For lateral temporal LEAT, outcome from lesionectomy was comparable to extended resection (χ2 = 0.499, P > 0.1). For mesial temporal LEAT, 94.7% (18/19) of patients who underwent additional hippocampectomy were satisfactory, whereas only 25% (1/4) of patients who underwent lesionectomy were satisfactory (P = 0.009). Conclusion Surgical treatment was highly effective for temporal LEAT. ECoG may not influence the seizure outcome. For lateral temporal LEAT, lesionectomy with or without cortectomy was sufficient in most patients. For mesial temporal LEAT, extended resection was recommended.

Objective Among standard treatments for infantile spasms, adrenocorticotropic hormone (ACTH) is reported as the best treatment, but ACTH is ineffective in one-half of the patients. To establish precision medicine, we examined pharmacoresistance of focal epileptic spasms (ES), generalized ES, and generalized ES combined with focal seizures, diagnosed based on the revised seizure classification of ILAE in 2017. Methods We conducted a retrospective nationwide study in Japan on the long-term seizure outcome of ES. Long-term seizure outcome was evaluated by seizure-free rate, seizure-free period, and Kaplan-Meier curve. Seizure-free was defined as seizure control for longer than two months. Results From the medical history of 501 patients, 325 patients had generalized ES only (GES group) at the start of the first treatment, 125 patients had generalized ES after focal seizure onset (FS-GES group), seven patients had focal ES after focal seizure onset (FS-FES group), and 24 patients had generalized ES combined with focal seizures after focal seizure onset (FS-GES+FS group). Seizure-free period of ES (generalized ES and focal ES) [mean (95% confidence interval)] was 2.7 (0.0-5.4) months in GES group, 1.1 (0.1-2.2) months in FS-GES group, 1.0 (0.2-1.9) months in FS-GES+FS group and 0.1 (-0.2-0.5) months in FS-FES group. Seizure-free rate, seizure-free period and Kaplan-Meier curve of generalized ES were almost the same in GES group and FS-GES group, with characteristics of superior response to ACTH. Mean seizure-free period of generalized ES combined with focal seizures was significantly shorter in FS-GES+FS group than in GES group. Mean seizure-free period of focal ES in FS-FES group was extremely short with exceedingly early relapse. Significance Pharmacoresistance was different in generalized ES, focal ES and generalized ES combined with focal seizures. ES with focal features or with focal seizures may have focal lesions, thus consider surgical options earlier in the course.

Objective To investigate the temporal course of medication response and associated prognostic factors in a cohort of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) patients over a long-term follow-up. Materials and methods Data from 113 JME patients diagnosed according to recently proposed class II criteria were retrospectively reviewed. Early sustained remission was defined as 4-year seizure remission starting within 2 years from the first antiseizure medication (ASM) intake, as opposed to delayed sustained remission. Spontaneous relapse rate (ie, not related to ASM withdrawal) was also investigated, along with factors associated with seizure relapse. Results Four-year seizure remission was obtained by 76/113 (67.3%) subjects. Early sustained remission was achieved by 45/76 (59.2%) patients. Absence seizures were significantly associated with no-remission at multivariable multinomial logistic regression analysis. Catamenial seizures and earlier age at epilepsy onset significantly predicted delayed sustained remission. Spontaneous seizure relapse after 4-year remission occurred in 15.7% of patients with early sustained remission and in 35.5% of those with delayed sustained remission (p = 0.045). The most common concomitant factors for a spontaneous relapse were irregular lifestyle habits and pregnancy-related switch from valproate to another ASM. Patients with a history of catamenial seizures were more likely to experience a spontaneous generalized tonic-clonic seizure relapse after 4-year remission at univariable analysis. Significance Our data support the prognostic relevance of early medication response in JME patients. Furthermore, the prognostic significance of catamenial seizures and the impact of valproate switch on seizure relapse after a prolonged remission account for the challenging therapeutic management of women with childbearing potential.

OBJECTIVE The safety of stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG) has been investigated; however, most studies have not differentiated pediatric and adult populations, which have different anatomy and physiology. The purpose of this study was to assess SEEG safety in the pediatric setting, focusing on surgical complications and the identification of patient and surgical risk factors, if any. The authors also aimed to determine whether robot assistance in SEEG was associated with a change in practice, surgical parameters, and clinical outcomes. METHODS The authors retrospectively studied all SEEG cases performed in their department from December 2014 to March 2020. They analyzed both demographic and surgical variables and noted the types of surgery-related complications and their management. They also studied the clinical outcomes of a subset of the patients in relation to robot-assisted and non–robot-assisted SEEG. RESULTS Sixty-three children had undergone 64 SEEG procedures. Girls were on average 3 years younger than the boys (mean age 11.1 vs 14.1 years, p < 0.01). The overall complication rate was 6.3%, and the complication rate for patients with left-sided electrodes was higher than that for patients with right-sided electrodes (11.1% vs 3.3%), although the difference between the two groups was not statistically significant. The duration of recording was positively correlated to the number of implanted electrodes (r = 0.296, p < 0.05). Robot assistance was associated with a higher number of implanted electrodes (mean 12.6 vs 7.6 electrodes, p < 0.0001). Robot-assisted implantations were more accurate, with a mean error of 1.51 mm at the target compared to 2.98 mm in nonrobot implantations (p < 0.001). Clinical outcomes were assessed in the first 32 patients treated (16 in the nonrobot group and 16 in the robot group), 23 of whom proceeded to further resective surgery. The children who had undergone robot-assisted SEEG had better eventual seizure control following subsequent epilepsy surgery. Of the children who had undergone resective epilepsy surgery, 42% (5/12) in the nonrobot group and 82% (9/11) in the robot group obtained an Engel class IA outcome at 1 year (χ2 = 3.885, p = 0.049). Based on Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, the robot group had a higher seizure-free rate than the nonrobot group at 30 months postoperation (7/11 vs 2/12, p = 0.063). Two complications, whose causes were attributed to the implantation and head-bandaging steps, required surgical intervention. All complications were either transient or reversible. CONCLUSIONS This is the largest single-center, exclusively pediatric SEEG series that includes robot assistance so far. SEEG complications are uncommon and usually transient or treatable. Robot assistance enabled implantation of more electrodes and improved epilepsy surgery outcomes, as compared to those in the non–robot-assisted cases.

Background The insular cortex is an eloquent island of mesocortex surrounded by vital structures making this region relatively challenging to neurosurgeons. Historically, lesions in this region were considered too high risk to approach given the strong chance of poor surgical outcome. Advances in recent decades have meant that surgeons can more safely access this eloquent region. Seizure outcome after excision of insular low-grade gliomas is well reported, but little is known about seizure outcomes after excision of insular high-grade gliomas. Methods A retrospective analysis was performed of all patients presenting with new-onset seizures during 2015–2019 who underwent excision of an insular high-grade glioma at 3 regional neurosurgical centers in the United Kingdom. Results We identified 38 patients with a mean (SD) age of 45.7 (15.3) years with median follow-up of 21 months. At long-term follow-up, of 38 patients, 23 were seizure-free (Engel class I), 2 had improved seizures (Engel class II), 6 had poor seizure control (Engel class III/IV), and 7 died. Conclusions Excision of insular high-grade gliomas is safe and results in excellent postoperative seizure control.

OBJECTIVE Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is one of the most common forms of epilepsy. In approximately 30% of patients, seizures are refractory to drug treatment. Despite the achievements of modern presurgical evaluation in recent years, the presurgical prediction of seizure outcome remains difficult. The aim of this study was to evaluate the seizure outcome in patients with drug-refractory TLE who underwent resective temporal lobe surgery (rTLS) and to determine features associated with unfavorable postsurgical seizure outcome. METHODS Patients with medically refractory TLE who underwent rTLS between 2012 and 2017 were reviewed from the prospectively collected epilepsy surgery database. A retrospective analysis of clinical, radiological, neuropsychological, histopathological, and perioperative findings of 161 patients was performed. The patients were divided into two groups according to seizure outcome (group I, International League Against Epilepsy [ILAE] class 1; group II, ILAE class ≥ 2). For identification of independent risk factors for unfavorable postoperative seizure outcome (ILAE class ≥ 2), a multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed. RESULTS Seizure freedom (ILAE class 1) was achieved in 121 patients (75.2%). The neuropsychological evaluation demonstrated that losses in cognitive performance were more pronounced in verbal memory after resections in the left temporal lobe and in nonverbal memory after right-sided resections, whereas attention improved after surgery. Overall, postoperative visual field deficits (VFDs) were common and occurred in 51% of patients. There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of VFD in patients with selective surgical procedures compared to the patients with nonselective procedures. The lack of MRI lesions and placement of depth electrodes were preoperatively identified as predictors for unfavorable seizure outcome. CONCLUSIONS rTLS is an effective treatment method in patients with refractory TLE. However, patients with a lack of MRI lesions and placement of depth electrodes prior to rTLS are at higher risk for an unfavorable postsurgical seizure outcome.

Background Epileptic surgery is the potentially curative treatment for children with refractory seizures. The study aimed to quantify and analyze high frequency oscillation (HFO) ripples and interictal epileptiform discharges (EDs) in intraoperative electrocorticography (ECoG) between malformation of cortical dysplasia (MCD) and non-MCD children with MRI-lesional focal epilepsy, and evaluate of seizure outcomes after epileptic surgery. Methods The intraoperative ECoG was performed before and after lesionectomy. Quantifications of HFO ripples and interictal EDs of ECoG by frequency, amplitude, and foci of intraoperative ECoG were performed based on electrode location, and the characteristics of ECoG recordings were analyzed in each patient based on their histopathology. Seizure outcome after surgery according to their quantitative ECoG findings was analyzed. Results Frequency of EDs and HFO ripple rates in preresection ECoG were significantly higher in children with MCD compared with non-MCD (p = 0.018 and p = 0.002, respectively). Higher frequencies of EDs and ripple rates in preresection ECoG were observed in residual seizures than in seizure-free children (p = 0.045 and p = 0.005, respectively). Clinically, children with residual seizures after surgery were significantly younger at the onset, had a trend of higher seizure frequency and higher spike frequency of presurgical videoEEG. Conclusion Our results suggested that quantification of intraoperative ECoG predicted seizure outcomes and reflected different ED pattern and frequencies between MCD and non-dysplastic histopathology among children who underwent resective epileptic surgery. The results of our study were encouraging and indicated that intraoperative ECoG improved the outcomes of surgery in children with epilepsy.

Objective It is assumed that temporal lobe resection in older people is associated with worse seizure outcomes and potential postsurgical memory decline. We studied postsurgical memory development and surgical efficacy in patients over 45 years of age compared with younger patients. Methods We studied 88 patients (51 male and 37 female) after temporal lobe surgery, which involved hippocampal resection. The patients were evaluated before surgery and in the first (72 patients) and/or third (57 patients) postsurgical year. The Wechsler Memory Scale III test was performed to evaluate the MQ postsurgical development. Engel's classification was used to evaluate the postsurgical seizure outcome. Results The presurgical MQ (median 88) in >= 45 years age group was significantly lower than in both younger groups (median MQ = 100 for

Aims Seizure outcome of autoimmune encephalitis (AE) varies from seizure‐free to refractory epilepsy, and the associated factors remain unclear. We aimed to describe seizure characteristics, identify seizure outcome‐related factors, and discuss the medication strategy of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) at the first onset of AE. Methods We retrospectively studied the data of 86 patients with clinically diagnosed AE. The clinical characteristics were described using a chi‐square test. Seizure outcome‐related factors were assessed using multivariable logistic regression analysis. Results 56 patients were finally enrolled, with antibodies to N‐methyl‐D‐aspartate receptor found in 29, to γ‐aminobutyric acid receptor B found in 13, and to leucine‐rich glioma‐inactivated protein 1 found in 14. Status epilepticus occurrence and onset with seizure lead to a poor seizure outcome, while administration of human gamma globulin and a low antibody titer contributed to a good seizure outcome. Conclusions In the acute phase, seizure characteristics may be considered in the utilization of AEDs. For patients with seizure‐free status in the acute phase, clinical manifestation (onset with seizure or not, whether status epilepticus occurs or not), therapy regimen (human gamma globulin administered or not), and antibody titer may be considered when formulating the strategy for withdrawal of AEDs post‐acute phase., In the acute phase, seizure characteristics may be considered in the utilization of antiepileptic drugs. For patients who have achieved seizure‐free status in the acute phase of autoimmune encephalitis, onset with seizure or not, status epilepticus occurs or not, human gamma globulin administered or not and antibody titer may be considered in the withdrawal strategy of AEDs after the acute phase.

Introduction The postoperative seizure freedom represents an important secondary outcome measure in glioblastoma surgery. Recently, supra-total glioblastoma resection in terms of anterior temporal lobectomy (ATL) has gained growing attention with regard to superior long-term disease control for temporal-located glioblastoma compared to conventional gross-total resections (GTR). However, the impact of ATL on seizure outcome in these patients is unknown. We therefore analyzed ATL and GTR as differing extents of resection in regard of postoperative seizure control in patients with temporal glioblastoma and preoperative symptomatic seizures. Methods Between 2012 and 2018, 33 patients with preoperative seizures underwent GTR or ATL for temporal glioblastoma at the authors’ institution. Seizure outcome was assessed postoperatively and 6 months after tumor resection according to the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification and stratified into favorable (ILAE class 1) versus unfavorable (ILAE class 2–6). Results Overall, 23 out of 33 patients (70%) with preoperative seizures achieved favorable seizure outcome following resection of temporal located glioblastoma. For the ATL group, postoperative seizure freedom was present in 13 out of 13 patients (100%). In comparison, respective rates for the GTR group were 10 out of 20 patients (50%) (p = 0.002; OR 27; 95% CI 1.4–515.9). Conclusions ATL in terms of a supra-total resection strategy was associated with superior favorable seizure outcome following temporal glioblastoma resection compared to GTR. Regarding above mentioned survival benefit following ATL compared to GTR, ATL as an aggressive supra-total resection regime might constitute the surgical modality of choice for temporal-located glioblastoma.

Objective: Management of patients after failed epilepsy surgery is still challenging. Advanced diagnostic and intraoperative tools including magneto-encephalography (MEG) as well as neuronavigation and intraoperative magnetic resonance imaging (iopMRI) may contribute to a better postoperative seizure outcome in this patient group. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed consecutive patients after reoperation of failed epilepsy surgery for medically refractory epilepsy at the University of Erlangen between 1988 and 2017. Inclusion criteria for patients were available MEG, neuronavigation and iopMRI data. The Engel scale was used to categorize seizure outcome. Results: We report on 27 consecutive patients (13 female/14 male mean age at first surgery 29.4 years) who had operative revision of the first resection after failed epilepsy surgery. An improved seizure outcome postoperatively was observed in 78% of patients (p < 0.001) with 55% seizure free (Engel I) patients after a mean follow-up time of 4.9 years. In detail, 80% of lesional cases were seizure free compared to 59% of MRI negative patients. Localizing MEG spike activity in the vicinity of the first resection cavity was present in 12 of 27 patients (44%) corresponding to 83% (10/12) of MEG localizing spike patients having advanced seizure outcome after operative revision. Conclusion: Re-operation after failed surgery in refractory epilepsy may lead to a better seizure outcome in the majority of patients. Preoperative MEG may support the decision for surgery and may facilitate targeting epileptogenic tissue for re-resection by employing navigation and iopMR imaging.

Objective In the current study, we aimed to assess the diagnostic delay and the impact of diagnostic delay on seizure outcome in a cohort of newly diagnosed patients with focal epilepsy. Methods The study material was compiled from eight clinical antiseizure medication monotherapy trials conducted at Kuopio Epilepsy Center during 1995‐2016. We analyzed the time from first seizure to diagnosis, the number of seizures before diagnosis, and the response to treatment at five years. Results Of the 176 patients (age range 15‐75 years) in the cohort, 135 (77%) had had more than two seizures before treatment. The majority of these (79 patients, 45%) had had three to ten seizures. Median number of all seizures before diagnosis was 5 (range 2‐2000). Focal aware seizures and focal impaired awareness seizures were more frequent than focal to bilateral tonic‐clonic seizures; median number 45 (range 2‐2000), 11 (range 2‐220), and 3 (range 2‐30), respectively (P

Background: cavernomas are usually found in the supratentorial area, and epileptic seizures are one of the presenting symptoms. Objective: this study aims to provide the seizure outcome in adult patients who underwent surgical excision of single supratentorial cavernomas. Materials and methods: a total of 23 patients with single supratentorial cavernomas were operated between May 2011 and January 2019. Pre- and postoperative seizure semiology, clinical, and radiological findings were collected from medical records. At the last follow-up, each patient was seen during regular visits and clinical variables were noted. Results: the mean age was 37.08 10.5 years, and 11 (57.8%) and 12 (52.2%) were females and males, respectively. Headache (43.5%) and seizure (43.5%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Cavernomas were located on the right side in 13 and on the left side in 10 patients. The most common locations were the frontal (43.5%) and temporal (43.5%) lobes. The mean follow-up in this series was 41.4 +/- 30.8 months. Our results showed that surgery was effective in seizure outcome, as almost 70% of patients who had seizure before surgery was seizure free after surgery, and the difference between those who had seizure pre- and postoperative periods was statistically significant (p=0.0001). Conclusion: surgery is safe and effective for supratentorial cavernomas. The excision of cavernoma together with the surrounding hemosiderin should be performed to obtain a satisfactory seizure outcome., NA

Objective To determine whether semiological similarity of electrically induced seizures (EIS) and spontaneously occurring habitual seizures (SHS) is associated with postsurgical seizure outcome in patients undergoing invasive video-EEG monitoring (VEM) before resective epilepsy surgery. Methods Data of patients undergoing invasive VEM were retrospectively reviewed and included if at least one EIS and SHS during VEM occurred and the brain region in which EIS were elicited was resected. Seizure outcome was evaluated at three follow-up (FU) visits after surgery (1, 2 years and last available FU) according to the classification by Engel and the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). The level of semiological similarity of EIS and SHS was rated blinded to the surgical outcome. Statistics were done using Fisher’s exact test and a mixed linear-logistic regression model. Results 65 patients were included. Postsurgical seizure freedom was achieved in 51% (ILAE class 1) and 58% (Engel class I) at last FU (median 36 months). Patients with identical EIS and SHS displayed significantly better postsurgical seizure outcomes (ILAE class 1 at last FU: 76% vs. 31%, p Conclusion EIS are useful to confirm the location of the epileptogenic zone. A high level of similarity between EIS and SHS is associated with a favorable postsurgical seizure outcome. Significance EIS may be used as an additional predictor of postsurgical outcome when counselling patients to proceed to resective epilepsy surgery.

Background: Hippocampal sclerosis (HS) may be associated with focal cortical dysplasia IIIa (FCD IIIa) in patients undergoing surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Objective: To investigate whether the anatomo-electro-clinical profile and surgical outcome in patients with HS-related TLE are affected by coexisting FCD IIIa. Methods: A total of 220 patients, operated in 5 centers, with at least 24 mo follow-up (FU), were retrospectively studied. Preliminary univariate and subsequent multivariate analyses were performed to investigate possible associations between several potential presurgical, surgical, and postsurgical predictors and different variables (Engel's class I and Engel's class Ia, co-occurrence of FCD IIIa). Results: At last available postoperative control (FU: range 24-95 mo, median 47 mo), 182 (82.7%) patients were classified as Engel's class I and 142 (64.5%) as Engel's class Ia. At multivariate analysis, extension of neocortical resection and postoperative electroencephalogram were significantly associated with Engel's class I, whereas length of FU had a significant impact on class Ia in the whole cohort and in isolated HS (iHS) patients, but not in the FCD IIIa group. No differences emerged in the anatomo-electro-clinical profile and surgical results between patients with FCD IIIa and with iHS. Conclusion: Coexistence of FCD IIIa did not confer a distinct anatomo-electro-clinical profile to patients with HS-related epilepsy. Postoperative seizure outcome was similar in FCD IIIa and iHS cases. These findings indicate limited clinical relevance of FCD IIIa in HS-related epilepsy and might be useful for refining future FCD classifications. Further studies are needed to clarify the correlation of class Ia outcome with the duration of FU.

ObjectiveTo examine whether fast ripples (FRs) are an accurate marker of the epileptogenic zone, we analyzed overnight stereo-EEG recordings from 43 patients and hypothesized that FR resection ratio, maximal FR rate, and FR distribution predict postsurgical seizure outcome.MethodsWe detected FRs automatically from an overnight recording edited for artifacts and visually from a 5-minute period of slow-wave sleep. We examined primarily the accuracy of removing ≥50% of total FR events or of channels with FRs to predict postsurgical seizure outcome (Engel class I = good, classes II–IV = poor) according to the whole-night and 5-minute analysis approaches. Secondarily, we examined the association of low overall FR rates or absence or incomplete resection of 1 dominant FR area with poor outcome.ResultsThe accuracy of outcome prediction was highest (81%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 67%–92%) with the use of the FR event resection ratio and whole-night recording (vs 72%, 95% CI 56%–85%, for the visual 5-minute approach). Absence of channels with FR rates >6/min (p = 0.001) and absence or incomplete resection of 1 dominant FR area (p < 0.001) were associated with poor outcome.ConclusionsFRs are accurate in predicting epilepsy surgery outcome at the individual level when overnight recordings are used. Absence of channels with high FR rates or absence of 1 dominant FR area is a poor prognostic factor that may reflect suboptimal spatial sampling of the epileptogenic zone or multifocality, rather than an inherently low sensitivity of FRs.Classification of evidenceThis study provides Class II evidence that FRs are accurate in predicting epilepsy surgery outcome.

Objective Seizure recurrence following surgery for temporal lobe (TL) epilepsy may be related to extratemporal epileptogenic foci, so-called temporal-plus (TL+) epilepsy. Here, we sought to leverage whole brain connectomic profiling in magnetoencephalography (MEG) to identify neural networks indicative of TL+ epilepsy in children. Methods Clinical and MEG data were analyzed for 121 children with TL and TL+ epilepsy spanning 20 years at the Hospital for Sick Children. Resting-state connectomes were derived using the weighted phase lag index from neuromagnetic oscillations. Multidimensional associations between patient connectomes, TL versus TL+ epilepsy, seizure freedom, and clinical covariates were performed using a partial least squares (PLS) analysis. Bootstrap resampling statistics were performed to assess statistical significance. Results A single significant latent variable representing 66% of the variance in the data was identified with significant contributions from extent of epilepsy (TL vs TL+), duration of illness, and underlying etiology. This component was associated with significant bitemporal and frontotemporal connectivity in the theta, alpha, and beta bands. By extracting a brain score, representative of the observed connectivity profile, patients with TL epilepsy were dissociated from those with TL+, independent of their postoperative seizure outcome. Significance By analyzing 121 connectomes derived from MEG data using a PLS approach, we find that connectomic profiling could dissociate TL from TL+ epilepsy. These findings may inform patient selection for resective procedures and guide decisions surrounding invasive monitoring.

Background The aim of this study was to examine the predictive value of amplitude-integrated electroencephalography (aEEG) on 12-month seizure outcomes of infants with neonatal hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy (HIE) treated with therapeutic hypothermia. Methods We conducted this retrospective cohort study in a tertiary neonatal intensive care unit between May 2012 and September 2017. Neonates with HIE who received both therapeutic hypothermia (TH) and aEEG were enrolled. Results A total of 23 infants (14 boys, nine girls) with a mean gestational age of 38.9 weeks were enrolled. Fifteen (65%) infants had moderate HIE and eight (35%) had severe HIE according to modified Sarnat staging. The mean aEEG recording time was 107.5 h. Twenty (86.9%) infants had seizure activity during the first 24 h after cooling and 14 (60.8%) had seizure activity during the first 24 h after rewarming. At 12 months, five (21.7%) infants had poor seizure outcomes. Repetitive seizures or status epilepticus pattern during the first 24 h after rewarming, but not the first 24 h after cooling, were associated with the presence of epilepsy at 12 months (p = 0.037). Conclusions We identified a high incidence of electrographic seizures in infants with neonatal HIE treated with therapeutic hypothermia, and post-neonatal epilepsy in the children who survived after HIE. Repetitive seizures or status epilepticus pattern during the first 24 h after rewarming, but not in the first 24 h after cooling, were associated with the presence of epilepsy at 12 months.

Purpose The population of elderly patients with epilepsy has been growing rapidly and the chances of referring older patients with refractory epilepsy for surgical options could be increasing. In general, epilepsy surgery at higher ages has been less likely to be performed, because little is known regarding the risks and benefits in elderly patients. We, therefore, investigated surgical outcomes and comorbidities in a population ≥50 years old who underwent epilepsy surgery. Methods Patients ≥50 years old who underwent epilepsy surgery were identified from the database of our epilepsy center for the period from 2009 to 2017. Surgical complications and seizure outcome were reviewed, and seizure outcomes were evaluated using the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) surgery outcome scale. Results The mean age of 32 patients at the time of surgery was 56.1±5.1 years. The mean duration of epilepsy was 23.4±18.5 years and mean follow-up was 2.7±2.0 years. As of the most recent visit, 56.3% of patients remained completely seizure-free (ILAE Class I). The surgery-related complication rate was 11.5%, comprising permanent deficits in 3.8% and transient deficits in 7.7%. Conclusion These results suggest that epilepsy surgery may represent a valuable approach in selected adult patients.

Purpose Hypothalamic hamartomas (HH) are rare benign lesions frequently associated with gelastic seizures early in life. Epilepsy can progress to multiple seizure types with cognitive impairment and behavioural disturbance, leading in some cases to epileptic encephalopathy. Methods We reviewed a retrospective series of 112 children treated in a single center, between 1998 and 2017. Results According to Delalande’s HH classification, type1 was found in 2 patients, type 2 in 67, type 3 in 31, and type 4 in 12 patients. Stereotactic endoscopic disconnection was performed in 92 % of the procedures. Median age at diagnosis was 40 months and 7.6 years at surgery. Median time between diagnosis and surgery was 31 months and median follow up 4.1 years. For all HH types, 77.6 % of the patients had a favourable outcome (Engel I + II outcome score) with 57.1 % seizure-free (Engel I). The best outcome was obtained in patients with type 2 HH, (68.7 % Engel I and 85.1 % Engel I + II). The overall complication rate was 8.3 %, which is in line with previous series. Patients with isolated gelastic seizures had a better outcome (Engel I + II in 90 %), as compared to those with other seizure types (p = 0.07). A short delay between hamartoma diagnosis and surgery was a statistically significant factor for a good outcome (p = 0.03). Conclusion Patients with HH and drug-resistant epilepsy should be early identified in order to propose surgical treatment without delay. Endoscopic disconnection is a safe and efficacious surgical option with good seizure outcome and immediate treatment results.

Background: We aimed to evaluate heart rate variability (HRV) changes in insulo-opercular epilepsy (IOE) and after insulo-opercular surgery. Methods: We analyzed 5-min resting HRV of IOE patients before and after surgery. Patients’ SUDEP-7 risk inventory scores were also calculated. Results were compared with age- and sex-matched patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) and healthy individuals. Results: There were no differences in HRV measurements between IOE, TLE, and healthy control groups (and within each IOE group and TLE group) in preoperative and postoperative periods. In IOE patients, the SUDEP-7 score was positively correlated with pNN50 (percentage of successive RR intervals that differ by more than 50 ms) (p = 0.008) and RMSSD (root mean square of successive RR interval differences) (p = 0.019). We stratified IOE patients into those whose preoperative RMSSD values were below (Group 1a = 7) versus above (Group 1b = 9) a cut-off threshold of 31 ms (median value of a healthy population from a previous study). In group 1a, all HRV values significantly increased after surgery. In group 1b, time-domain parameters significantly decreased postoperatively. Conclusions: Our results suggest that in IOE, HRV may be either decreased in parasympathetic tone or increased globally in both sympathetic and parasympathetic tones. We found no evidence that insulo-opercular surgeries lead to major autonomic dysfunction when a good seizure outcome is reached. The increase in parasympathetic tone observed preoperatively may be of clinical concern, as it was positively correlated with the SUDEP-7 score.

AIM Cerebral cavernous malformations (CCM) are the second most common type of vascular malformations and also regarded as highly epileptogenic lesions if they involve the cortex. We present one of the largest retrospective cavernoma related epilepsy (CRE) studies which include divergent supratentorial locations operated and followed up at least 2 years. We also investigated the factors affecting the seizure outcome. MATERIAL AND METHODS This study includes 56 patients with drug-responsive (40) and drug-resistant (16) CRE who underwent resective surgery. Age at seizure onset, age at surgery, gender, duration of epilepsy, seizure frequencies/type before and after treatment, EEG and brain MRI findings, prescribed AEDs, preoperative and post-operative neurological status, histopathological diagnosis, post-operative seizure outcomes and surgical information were documented. RESULTS The average follow-up period was 69.6 months (range 24-216 months). The seizure outcome was assessed according to Engel's classification at the last follow-up. Engel class I was achieved in 53 patients (95%); there was one patient at class II and two patients at class III. All patients in the drug-responsive group were at Engel class I after the surgery, while all patients at Engel classes II and III were in the drug-resistant patient group. This clearly shows that there were better outcomes in DRP group (p 0.01). Neither the locations of cavernomas nor the duration of epilepsy had any impact on seizure outcome (p 0.05). CONCLUSION An earlier surgical intervention may prevent the patients from becoming drug-resistant such that their chances of being seizure free after surgery increase.

BACKGROUNDExtratemporal lesional epilepsy can be managed with various surgical techniques such as simple lesionectomy or more extensive resections, all of which aim at targeting the epileptogenic zone which is the key for achieving a favorable outcome. This study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness of lesionectomy in the treatment of extra-temporal epilepsy associated with a lesion on radiological imaging, and to show the effect of lesional factors on seizure outcome including the anatomical location, the relation to cerebral parenchyma, the extent of surgical excision and the histopathological nature of the lesion.METHODSA prospective study on 20 patients presenting with focal epilepsy, or focal epilepsy with secondary generalized seizures with evidence of focal lesion in an extratemporal location on MRI. Lesionectomy was done and we used the Engel’s classification for seizure outcome.RESULTSLesions were mostly tumors (85 %). The frontal lobe is the most frequent locations (60 %). Low-grade glioma represented 35 % while meningioma represented 45 % of all lesions (both intra-axial and extra-axial). Four patients were lost during follow up (mean 23.31 months). For the remaining 16 patients, 13 cases were tumors (81.25%). Lesionectomy achieved seizure freedom in 68.75 %.CONCLUSIONSIn a country with limited resources, lesionectomy is a valid technique for epilepsy surgery as long as the radiological data and the seizure semiology are concordant. Total lesionectomy provides good seizure control when the clinical and radiological data are concordant with seizure semiology, in particular with tumor-related epilepsy. A study comparing postoperative seizure outcome between intra-axial and extra-axial lesions on a larger scale and with a longer follow up period is recommended.

International audience; Objective: This longitudinal study aimed to measure the time course of intellectual changes after pediatric focal resective epilepsy surgery and to identify their predictors.Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 81 school-aged children with focal epilepsy and intractable seizures who underwent neurosurgery (focal resection) from 2000 to 2018 in La Timone Hospital (Marseille). Neuropsychological assessments were carried out before and then 1, 2, 3, and 5 years after epilepsy surgery.Results: Eighty-one patients with a median age at surgery of 13.74 years [4.25] were enrolled. Overall, 45 of the 81 (55%) recruited patients were improved after the surgery on at least one of the five domains of the Wechsler Intelligence Scale. Temporal lobe localization and postoperative seizure freedom were the main prognostic factors impacting intellectual outcome (improvement and decline) after epilepsy surgery. Younger patients at surgery were less likely to have a postoperative IQ decline. Intellectual improvement after epilepsy surgery could be delayed for up to 5 years after surgery and concerned all intellectual domains except the Verbal Comprehension Index (VCI). Intellectual decline after epilepsy surgery occurred mainly during the first two years after the surgery and was reflected in full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ) and Working Memory Index (WMI).Conclusions: Our study points out that children and adolescents with TLE who achieved freedom from seizure after epilepsy surgery are the leading candidates for achieving postoperative intellectual improvement. This enhancement in intellectual function shows a long time course, whereas intellectual decline is evidenced earlier.

Objective To determine if routine electroencephalography (EEG) in seizure‐naive infants with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) can predict epilepsy and subsequent neurocognitive outcomes. Methods Forty infants 7 months of age or younger and meeting the genetic or clinical diagnostic criteria for tuberous sclerosis were enrolled. Exclusion criteria included prior history of seizures or treatment with antiseizure medications. At each visit, seizure history and 1‐hour awake and asleep video‐EEG, standardized across all sites, were obtained until 2 years of age. Developmental assessments (Mullen and Vineland‐II) were completed at 6, 12, and 24 months of age. Results Of 40 infants enrolled (mean age of 82.4 days), 32 completed the study. Two were lost to follow‐up and six were treated with antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) due to electrographic seizures and/or interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) on their EEG studies prior to the onset of clinical seizures. Seventeen of the 32 remaining children developed epilepsy at a mean age of 7.5 months (standard deviation [SD] = 4.4). Generalized/focal slowing, hypsarrhythmia, and generalized/focal attenuation were not predictive for the development of clinical seizures. Presence of IEDs had a 77.3% positive predictive value and absence a 70% negative predictive value for developing seizures by 2 years of age. IEDs preceded clinical seizure onset by 3.6 months (mean). Developmental testing showed significant decline, only in infants with ongoing seizures, but not infants who never developed seizures or whose seizures came under control. Significance IEDs identify impending epilepsy in the majority (77%) of seizure‐naive infants with TSC. The use of a 1‐hour awake and asleep EEG can be used as a biomarker for ongoing epileptogenesis in most, but not all, infants with TSC. Persistent seizures, but not history of interictal epileptiform activity or history of well‐controlled seizures, correlated with low scores on the Vineland and Mullen tests at 2 years of age.

This retrospective description of a surgical series is aimed at reporting on indications, methodology, results on seizures, outcome predictors and complications from a 20-year stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) activity performed at a single epilepsy surgery centre. Prospectively collected data from a consecutive series of 742 SEEG procedures carried out on 713 patients were reviewed and described. Long-term seizure outcome of SEEG-guided resections was defined as a binomial variable: absence (ILAE classes 1–2) or recurrence (ILAE classes 3–6) of disabling seizures. Predictors of seizure outcome were analysed by preliminary uni/bivariate analyses followed by multivariate logistic regression. Furthermore, results on seizures of these subjects were compared with those obtained in 1128 patients operated on after only non-invasive evaluation. Survival analyses were also carried out, limited to patients with a minimum follow-up of 10 years. Resective surgery has been indicated for 570 patients (79.9%). Two-hundred and seventy-nine of 470 patients operated on (59.4%) were free of disabling seizures at least 2 years after resective surgery. Negative magnetic resonance and post-surgical lesion remnant were significant risk factors for seizure recurrence, while type II focal cortical dysplasia, balloon cells, glioneuronal tumours, hippocampal sclerosis, older age at epilepsy onset and periventricular nodular heterotopy were significantly associated with seizure freedom. Twenty-five of 153 patients who underwent radio-frequency thermal coagulation (16.3%) were optimal responders. Thirteen of 742 (1.8%) procedures were complicated by unexpected events, including three (0.4%) major complications and one fatality (0.1%). In conclusion, SEEG is a safe and efficient methodology for invasive definition of the epileptogenic zone in the most challenging patients. Despite the progressive increase of MRI-negative cases, the proportion of seizure-free patients did not decrease throughout the years.

Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical features and treatment outcomes of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) in western China. Method We continuously reviewed one hundred and five outpatients with JME who were diagnosed and treated at the Epilepsy Registration Center of West China Hospital between October 2012 and July 2014. Seizure control stratified into different seizure types and by antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) was prospectively evaluated every 3‐6 months. Results Among 105 patients with JME, eighty‐five patients (81%) received monotherapy including valproate (VPA, 47%) and levetiracetam (LEV, 43%) treatment. The rates of seizure freedom 1, 3, and 5 years after the initiation of AED treatment were 64.8% (68/105), 29.5% (31/105), and 14.6% (12/82) in JME patients, respectively. Patients with myoclonic seizure (MS) and absence seizure (AS) were less frequently seizure‐free than those with MS and generalized tonic‐clonic seizure (GTCS) (P = 0.012). Patients on VPA monotherapy had better control of GTCS than patients on LEV monotherapy (P = 0.036). There is a trend of lower rates of seizure freedom in patients treated with LEV than in those treated with VPA after the first‐year treatment period. Significance Our data suggest that in JME, seizure control is linked to seizure type, possibly allowing a more individualized approach when counseling JME patients.

Objective High frequency oscillations (HFO) between 80–500 Hz are markers of epileptic areas in intracranial and maybe also scalp EEG. We investigate simultaneous recordings of scalp and intracranial EEG and hypothesize that scalp HFOs provide important additional clinical information in the presurgical setting. Methods Spikes and HFOs were visually identified in all intracranial scalp EEG channels. Analysis of correlation of event location between intracranial and scalp EEG as well as relationship between events and the SOZ and zone of surgical removal was performed. Results 24 patients could be included, 23 showed spikes and 19 HFOs on scalp recordings. In 15/19 patients highest scalp HFO rate was located over the implantation side, with 13 patients having the highest scalp and intracranial HFO rate over the same region. 17 patients underwent surgery, 7 became seizure free. Patients with poor post-operative outcome showed significantly more regions with HFO than those with seizure free outcome. Conclusions Scalp HFOs are mostly located over the SOZ. Widespread scalp HFOs are indicative of a larger epileptic network and associated with poor postsurgical outcome. Significance Analysis of scalp HFO add clinically important information about the extent of epileptic areas during presurgical simultaneous scalp and intracranial EEG recordings.

To evaluate seizure outcome in patients with seizure-associated dural arteriovenous fistulas (DAVFs).Between 2001 and 2019, 1198 consecutive patients underwent treatment for DAVFs in our neuroscience institute. Among these, 48 patients presented with initial seizure before treatment. The seizure outcome after treatment were assessed by patients' medical records, updated clinical information, and, when necessary, direct patient contact.Cortical venous reflux was present in all 48 patients with a history of seizure, including 36 cases with single fistula and 12 cases with multiple DAVFs. Complete angiographic occlusion of DAVFs was achieved in all patients at the latest follow-up. There were no immediate or long-term persistent complications after treatment. At 1-year follow-up, 54.2% (26/48) of the patients were seizure-free, and 29.2% (14/48) were medication-free. At 2-year follow-up, 81.3% (39/48) were seizure-free, and 64.6% (31/48) were medication-free. At the last follow-up (mean 7.9 years), 93.8% (45/48) were seizure-free, and 81.3% (39/48) were medication-free. Fewer than 5 seizures before treatment and a seizure history of3 months before treatment were 2 independent predictive factors for higher seizure-free rate at 1-year follow-up (before P0.05) as well as independent predictive factors for higher medication-free rate at 2-year follow-up (both P0.05).DAVF-related seizures can be effectively controlled through treatment of DAVF. Short seizure history and fewer seizures before treatment predict satisfactory seizure outcome after DAVF treatment, which indicates early treatment for seizure-associated DAVFs.

Objective: Various clinical parameters have been reported to be associated with favorable seizure outcomes after vagus nerve stimulation (VNS); however, none of these parameters have been conclusively validated. Here, we evaluated interpersonal communication skills (IPCS) and seizure outcomes in pediatric patients treated with VNS. Methods: We enrolled 31 Japanese pediatric patients (mean ± SD: 9.0 ± 3.4 years old, range: 3–15 years old) who were treated with VNS and had at least 2 years of follow-up. We divided the patients into two groups: a responder group with ≥50% seizure reduction from the average number of seizures 2 months before VNS; and a nonresponder group with

Seizure Outcome and Use of Antiepileptic Drugs After Epilepsy Surgery According to Histopathological Diagnosis: A Retrospective Multicenter Cohort Study Lamberink HJ, Otte WM, Blümcke I, et al; European Epilepsy Brain Bank writing group; study group; European Reference Network EpiCARE. Lancet Neurol. 2020;19(9):748-757. doi:10.1016/s1474-4422(20)30220-9Background:Surgery is a widely accepted treatment option for drug-resistant focal epilepsy. A detailed analysis of longitudinal postoperative seizure outcomes and use of antiepileptic drugs for different brain lesions causing epilepsy is not available. We aimed to analyze the association between histopathology and seizure outcome and drug freedom up to 5 years after epilepsy surgery, to improve presurgical decision-making and counselling.Methods:In this retrospective, multicenter, longitudinal, cohort study, patients who had epilepsy surgery between January 1, 2000, and December 31, 2012, at 37 collaborating tertiary referral centers across 18 European countries of the European Epilepsy Brain Bank consortium were assessed. We included patients of all ages with histopathology available after epilepsy surgery. Histopathological diagnoses and a minimal data set of clinical variables were collected from existing local databases and patient records. The primary outcomes were freedom from disabling seizures (Engel class 1) and drug freedom at 1, 2, and 5 years after surgery. Proportions of individuals who were Engel class 1 and drug-free were reported for the 11 main categories of histopathological diagnosis. We analyzed the association between histopathology, duration of epilepsy, and age at surgery, and the primary outcomes using random effects multivariable logistic regression to control for confounding.Findings:A total of 9147 patients were included, of whom seizure outcomes were available for 8191 (89.5%) participants at 2 years, and for 5577 (61.0%) at 5 years. The diagnoses of low-grade epilepsy-associated neuroepithelial tumor (LEAT), vascular malformation, and hippocampal sclerosis had the best seizure outcome at 2 years after surgery, with 77.5% (1027 of 1325) of patients free from disabling seizures for LEAT, 74.0% (328 of 443) for vascular malformation, and 71.5% (2108 of 2948) for hippocampal sclerosis. The worst seizure outcomes at 2 years were seen for patients with focal cortical dysplasia type I or mild malformation of cortical development (50.0%, 213 of 426 free from disabling seizures), those with malformation of cortical development-other (52.3%, 212 of 405 free from disabling seizures), and for those with no histopathological lesion (53.5%, 396 of 740 free from disabling seizures). The proportion of patients being both Engel class 1 and drug-free was 0% to 14% at 1 year and increased to 14% to 51% at 5 years. Children were more often drug-free; temporal lobe surgeries had the best seizure outcomes; and a longer duration of epilepsy was associated with reduced chance of favorable seizure outcomes and drug freedom. This effect of duration was evident for all lesions, except for hippocampal sclerosis.Interpretation:Histopathological diagnosis, age at surgery, and duration of epilepsy are important prognostic factors for outcomes of epilepsy surgery. In every patient with refractory focal epilepsy presumed to be lesional, evaluation for surgery should be considered.

OBJECTIVE Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a common cause of early-onset intractable epilepsy, and resection is a highly sufficient treatment option. In this study, the authors aimed to provide a retrospective analysis of pre- and postoperative factors and their impact on postoperative long-term seizure outcome. METHODS The postoperative seizure outcomes of 50 patients with a mean age of 8 ± 4.49 years and histologically proven FCD type II were retrospectively analyzed. Furthermore, pre- and postoperative predictors of long-term seizure freedom were assessed. The seizure outcome was evaluated based on the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) classification. RESULTS Complete resection of FCD according to MRI criteria was achieved in 74% (n = 37) of patients. ILAE class 1 at the last follow-up was achieved in 76% (n = 38) of patients. A reduction of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs) to monotherapy or complete withdrawal was achieved in 60% (n = 30) of patients. Twelve patients (24%) had a late seizure recurrence, 50% (n = 6) of which occurred after reduction of AEDs. A lower number of AEDs prior to surgery significantly predicted a favorable seizure outcome (p = 0.013, HR 7.63). Furthermore, younger age at the time of surgery, shorter duration of epilepsy prior to surgery, and complete resection were positive predictors for long-term seizure freedom. CONCLUSIONS The duration of epilepsy, completeness of resection, number of AEDs prior to surgery, and younger age at the time of surgery served as predictors of postoperative long-term seizure outcome, and, as such, may improve clinical practice when selecting and counseling appropriate candidates for resective epilepsy surgery. The study results also underscored that epilepsy surgery should be considered early in the disease course of pediatric patients with FCD type II.

Objective: to present the postsurgical outcome of extratemporal epilepsy (ExTLE) patients submitted to preoperative multimodal evaluation and intraoperative sequential electrocorticography (ECoG). Subjects and methods: thirty-four pharmaco-resistant patients with lesional and non-lesional ExTLE underwent comprehensive pre-surgical evaluation including multimodal neuroimaging such as ictal and interictal perfusion single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) scans, subtraction of ictal and interictal SPECT co-registered with magnetic resonance imaging (SISCOM) and electroencephalography (EEG) source imaging (ESI) of ictal epileptic activity. Surgical procedures were tailored by sequential intraoperative ECoG, and absolute spike frequency (ASF) was calculated in the pre- and post-resection ECoG. Postoperative clinical outcome assessment for each patient was carried out one year after surgery using Engel scores. Results: frontal and occipital resection were the most common surgical techniques applied. In addition, surgical resection encroaching upon eloquent cortex was accomplished in 41% of the ExTLE patients. Pre-surgical magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) did not indicate a distinct lesion in 47% of the cases. In the latter number of subjects, SISCOM and ESI of ictal epileptic activity made it possible to estimate the epileptogenic zone. After one- year follow up, 55.8% of the patients was categorized as Engel class I–II. In this study, there was no difference in the clinical outcome between lesional and non lesional ExTLE patients. About 43.7% of patients without lesion were also seizure- free, p = 0.15 (Fischer exact test). Patients with satisfactory seizure outcome showed lower absolute spike frequency in the pre-resection intraoperative ECoG than those with unsatisfactory seizure outcome, (Mann– Whitney U test, p = 0.005). Conclusions: this study has shown that multimodal pre-surgical evaluation based, particularly, on data from SISCOM and ESI alongside sequential intraoperative ECoG, allow seizure control to be achieved in patients with pharmacoresistant ExTLE epilepsy.

Previous studies reported interest in intraoperative shear-wave elastography (SWE) guidance for brain-tumor and epilepsy surgeries. Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) surgery is one of the most appropriate indications for using SWE guidance. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of ultrasound SWE techniques for the intraoperative detection of FCDs. We retrospectively analyzed data from 18 adult patients with drug-resistant epilepsy associated with FCD who had undergone SWE-guided surgery. Conventional B-mode images detected FCD in 2 patients (11.1%), while SWE detected FCD in 14 patients (77.8%). The stiffness ratios between MRI-positive and -negative cases were significantly different (3.6 ± 0.4 vs. 2.2 ± 0.6, respectively, p &lt, 0.001). FCDs were significantly more frequently detected by interoperative SWE in women (OR 4.7, 95% CI (1.7–12.7), p = 0.004) and in patients in whom FCD was visible on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI, OR 2.3, 95%CI (1.3–4.3), p = 0.04). At 1 year after surgery and at last follow-up (mean = 21 months), seizure outcome was good (International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) Class 1 or 2) in 72.2% and 55.6% of patients, respectively. Despite some limitations, our study highlighted the potential of SWE as an intraoperative tool to detect FCD. Future technical developments should allow for optimizing intraoperative surgical-cavity evaluation from the perspective of complete FCD resection. Interobserver reliability of SWE measurements should also be assessed by further studies.

Hemispheric surgery is an effective and cost-effective option for hemispheric epilepsy. Data specifically focusing on very early infancy are scant. In our study, we report the results of hemispheric surgery in children under three years of age, along with clinical, neuroradiological and EEG features, from two Italian epilepsy surgery centres. After reviewing our epilepsy surgery databases (2008-2018), we identified 14 patients (seven males) submitted to hemispheric surgery, under three years (range: 2-29 months), with a follow-up of at least 12 months. No deaths occurred, and surgical complications were observed in 3/17 procedures. At final follow-up visit (mean: 30.8 months; range: 12-90), 10/14 patients (71.4%) achieved Engel Class I (eight Class 1A, one Class 1B, and one Class 1C). Antiepileptic drugs were completely discontinued in three and reduced in eight, thus a significant decrease in drug regimen after surgery was achieved in 11/14 patients (78.6%). Before surgery, severe developmental delay was present in 10 patients, moderate in two and mild in two. At the last follow-up visit, the degree of developmental delay changed from severe to moderate in five patients, remained unchanged in six cases (four severe and two moderate), and changed from mild to moderate in two following surgery. In many cases, hemispheric surgery in children under three years is effective in achieving seizure freedom or reducing seizure frequency, with the possibility of simplifying complex drug regimens. Moreover, it appears to be a safe and well tolerated procedure, leading to improvement in cognition and posture.

To determine long-term seizure outcome, use of antiseizure medication (ASM) and seizure recurrence risk after its withdrawal in patients with autoimmune encephalitis (AE) due to neuronal surface and GAD antibodies.In patients from a specialized AE outpatient clinic, we assessed seizure manifestation, ASM and immunotherapy at onset of AE as well as seizure occurrence, development of autoimmune-associated epilepsy (AAE) and use of ASM in the long-term. Data were collected from patients via telephone interviews and medical records.Out of 94 AE patients, 75 were analyzed; 47 patients had NMDAR, 17 LGI1, 7 GAD, 3 CASPR2 and 1 mGluR5 antibodies. Fifty-three of the 75 patients (71 %) experienced seizures, all of which for the first time occurred at AE onset. After a median follow-up of 6 years (range, 1-15), 47 of the 53 AE patients had 1-year terminal seizure remission, median duration of terminal seizure freedom was 5 years. Rate of 1-year terminal seizure remission was significantly higher in patients with neuronal surface antibodies (NMDAR 97 %, LGI1 93 %, CASPR2 100 %) compared to patients with GAD antibodies (20 %, p < 0.001). In seizure-free patients, ASM was withdrawn after 13 months (median) without any relapse seizures.Seizures are common in most forms of AE manifesting at disease onset in all cases. However, the development of AAE is rare and typically occurs in patients with GAD antibodies. Thus, in most AE cases with neuronal surface antibodies, ASM can be withdrawn after the acute phase of AE with low risk of seizure relapse.

Prolonged seizures in children with focal epilepsy (FE) may impair language functions and often reoccur after surgical intervention. This study is aimed at developing a novel deep relational reasoning network to investigate whether conventional diffusion-weighted imaging connectome analysis can be improved when predicting expressive and receptive scores of preoperative language impairments and classifying postoperative seizure outcomes (seizure freedom or recurrence) in individual FE children. To deeply reason the dependencies of axonal connections that are sparsely distributed in the whole brain, this study proposes the “dilated CNN + RN”, a dilated convolutional neural network (CNN) combined with a relation network (RN). The performance of the dilated CNN + RN was evaluated using whole brain connectome data from 51 FE children. It was found that when compared with other state-of-the-art algorithms, the dilated CNN + RN led to an average improvement of 90.2% and 97.3% in predicting expressive and receptive language scores, and 2.2% and 4% improvement in classifying seizure freedom and seizure recurrence, respectively. These improvements were independent of the prefixed connectome densities. Also, the dilated CNN + RN could provide an explainable artificial intelligence (AI) model by computing gradient-based regression/classification activation maps. This mapping analysis revealed left superior-medial frontal cortex, bilateral hippocampi, and cerebellum as crucial hubs, facilitating important connections that were most predictive of language function and seizure refractoriness after surgery.

Epilepsy associated with periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH), a developmental malformation, is frequently drug-resistant and requires focal therapeutic intervention. Invasive EEG study is usually necessary to delineate the epileptogenic zone, but constructing an accurate hypothesis to define an appropriate electrode implantation scheme and the treatment is challenging. This article reviews recent studies that help understanding the epileptogenicity and potential therapeutic options in PNH. New noninvasive diagnostic and intracerebral EEG analytic tools demonstrated that cortical hyperexcitability and aberrant connectivity (between nodules and cortices and among nodules) are likely mechanisms causing epilepsy in most patients. The deeply seated PNH, if epileptogenic, are ideal target for stereotactic ablative techniques, which offer concomitant ablation of multiple regions with relatively satisfactory seizure outcome. Advance in diagnostic and analytic tools have enhanced our understanding of the complex epileptogenicity in PNH. Development in stereotactic ablative techniques now offers promising therapeutic options for these patients.

Objective To examine longitudinal changes and predictors of depression and anxiety 2 years following resective epilepsy surgery, compared to no surgery, in children with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). Method This multicenter cohort study involved 128 children and adolescents with DRE (48 surgical, 80 nonsurgical; 8–18 years) who completed self-report measures of depression and anxiety at baseline and follow-up (6-month, 1-year, 2-year). Child demographic (age, sex, IQ) and seizure (age at onset, duration, frequency, site and side) variables were collected. Results Linear mixed-effects models controlling for age at enrolment found a time by treatment by seizure outcome interaction for depression. A negative linear trend across time (reduction in symptoms) was found for surgical patients, irrespective of seizure outcome. In contrast, the linear trend differed depending on seizure outcome in nonsurgical patients; a negative trend was found for those with continued seizures, whereas a positive trend (increase in symptoms) was found for those who achieved seizure freedom. Only a main effect of time was found for anxiety indicating a reduction in symptoms across patient groups. Multivariate regressions failed to find baseline predictors of depression or anxiety at 2-year follow-up in surgical patients. Older age, not baseline anxiety or depression, predicted greater symptoms of anxiety and depression at 2-year follow-up in nonsurgical patients. Conclusion Children with DRE reported improvement in anxiety and depression, irrespective of whether they achieve seizure control, across the 2 years following surgery. In contrast, children with DRE who did not undergo surgery, but achieved seizure freedom, reported worsening of depressive symptoms, which may indicate difficulty adjusting to life without seizures and highlight the potential need for ongoing medical and psychosocial follow-up and support.

Background Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) affects 7–20% of children with epilepsy. Although some risk factors for DRE have been identified, the results have not been consistent. Moreover, data regarding the risk factors for epilepsy and its seizure outcome in the first 2 years of life are limited. Methods We analyzed data for children aged 0–2 years with epilepsy and neurodevelopmental disability (NDD) from January, 2013, through December, 2017. These patients were followed up to compared the risk of DRE in patients with genetic defect (genetic group) with that without genetic defect (nongenetic group). Additionally, we conducted a meta-analysis to identify the pooled prevalence of genetic factors in children with DRE Results A total of 96 patients were enrolled. A total of 68 patients were enrolled in the nongenetic group, whereas 28 patients were enrolled in the genetic group. The overall DRE risk in the genetic group was 6.5 times (95% confidence interval [CI], 2.15–19.6; p = 0.03) higher than that in the nongenetic group. Separately, a total of 1308 DRE patients were participated in the meta-analysis. The pooled prevalence of these patients with genetic factors was 22.8% (95% CI 17.4–29.3) Conclusions The genetic defect plays a crucial role in the development of DRE in younger children with epilepsy and NDD. The results can serve as a reference for further studies of epilepsy panel design and may also assist in the development of improved treatments and prevention strategies for DRE.