Association between cognitive impairment and antiseizure medication adherence among people with epilepsy in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

BACKGROUND: Cognitive impairment is one of the most common and most troublesome comorbidities among people with epilepsy (PWE). Adherent use of antiseizure medications (ASM) can control seizure episodes in 70% of the cases. However, the relationship between adherent use of ASMs and cognitive impairment in epilepsy is complex. OBJECTIVE: To assess the association between adherence to ASMs and cognitive status among PWE. METHODS: We performed a cross-sectional observational study with prospective data collection from PWE using translated and content-validated Amharic versions of the Montreal cognitive assessment tool (MOCA-B) and a four-item Morisky Medication Adherence Scale (Morski-4). Ordinal logistic regression analysis was performed to evaluate the potential risk factors for cognitive impairment, including ASM adherence, physical exercise, and level of education. RESULTS: A total of 214 individuals with epilepsy were included in this study; 53.7 % were female, and the mean age was 34 years ± 12. The mean age at seizure occurrence was 19 years ± 9. The most common epilepsy type among participants was generalized epilepsy (69 %). The prevalence of poor medication adherence to ASM was 54.2 %. The prevalence of mild cognitive impairment was 65.4 %, and 18.2 % had moderate cognitive impairment, particularly affecting verbal fluency (60.8 %) and memory (43.9 %). Cognitive impairment was significantly associated with poor ASM adherence (AOR = 12.0, 95 %CI, (1.53, 93.75), lower level of physical exercise (AOR = 16.30, 95 %CI (1.24, 214.99), and poor educational attainment with both no formal education (AOR = 0.04, 95 %CI (0.02, 0.14)) and primary or secondary level education (AOR = 0.32, 95 %CI, (0.15, 0.70). CONCLUSIONS: There is a high rate of cognitive impairment and non-adherence to ASMs in PWE living in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. Poor ASM adherence is a possible risk factor for cognitive impairment. PWE can benefit from interventions to improve ASM adherence, physical exercise, and better educational attainment.

Is preserved consciousness during seizures associated with quality of life among patients with drug-resistant epilepsy?

Drug-resistant epilepsy is associated with reduced quality of life (QoL) due to a myriad of disease-related and psychosocial factors. Although consciousness during seizures is a core feature of seizure classification, its impact on QoL in people with epilepsy (PWE) is not well understood. This study aimed to address this gap by comparing QoL between PWE with focal aware (FA) versus impaired awareness (FIA) seizures. Sixty-nine adults with epilepsy completed the Quality of Life in Epilepsy-31 (QoLIE-31) inventory as part of their pre-surgical neuropsychological evaluation (FA: n = 26, FIA: n = 43). There was no group difference in seizure burden as defined by the proportion of comorbid focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures (FA:65.4 %; FIA: 79.1 %). People with FA seizures reported lower overall QoL than people with FIA seizures; sub-scale analyses revealed that seizure worry drives this effect. There was no difference in QoL between people with motor and non-motor FA seizures. Results suggest that FA seizures are burdensome on the QoL of PWE. FA seizures may contribute to seizure worry due to preserved awareness of aversive peri-ictal phenomenon. Findings suggest that clinical efforts should continue to be made to optimize seizure control in people with breakthrough FA seizures. Prospective longitudinal monitoring of QoL in trials of consciousness-targeting neurostimulation therapy is needed to determine if QoL changes as a function of improved peri-ictal consciousness following treatment.

Enhanced sensitivity of electrocorticography during awake craniotomy using a novel circular grid electrode.

PURPOSE: Awake craniotomy with intraoperative functional brain mapping (FBM) bedside neurological testing is an important technique used to optimize resective brain surgeries near eloquent cortex. Awake craniotomy performed with electrocorticography (ECoG) and direct electrical stimulation (DES) for FBM can delineate eloquent cortex from lesions and epileptogenic regions. However, current electrode technology demonstrates spatial limitations. Our group has developed a novel circular grid with the goal of improving spatial recording of ECoG to enhance detection of ictal and interictal activity. METHODS: This retrospective study was approved by the institutional review board at Mayo Clinic Florida. We analyzed patients undergoing awake craniotomy with ECoG and DES and compared ECoG data obtained using the 22 contact circular grid to standard 6 contact strip electrode. RESULTS: We included 144 cases of awake craniotomy with ECoG, 73 using circular grid and 71 with strip electrode. No significant differences were seen regarding preoperative clinical and demographic data, duration of ECoG recording (p = 0.676) and use of DES (p = 0.926). Circular grid was more sensitive in detecting periodic focal epileptiform discharges (PFEDs) (p = 0.004), PFEDs plus (p = 0.032), afterdischarges (ADs) per case (p = 0.022) at lower minimum (p = 0.012) and maximum (p < 0.0012) intensity stimulation, and seizures (p = 0.048). PFEDs (p < 0.001), PFEDs plus (p < 0.001), and HFOs (p < 0.001) but not ADs (p = 0.255) predicted electrographic seizures. CONCLUSION: We demonstrate higher sensitivity in detecting ictal and interictal activity on ECoG during awake craniotomy with a novel circular grid compared to strip electrode, likely due to better spatial sampling during ECoG. We also found association between PFEDs and intraoperative seizures.

Incidence and risk factors associated with seizures in cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) is a common cause of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH), which is a risk factor for seizures. The incidence and risk factors of seizures associated with a heterogeneous cohort of CAA patients have not been studied. METHODS: We conducted a retrospective study of patients with CAA treated at Mayo Clinic Florida between 1 January 2015 and 1 January 2021. CAA was defined using the modified Boston criteria version 2.0. We analyzed electrophysiological and clinical features, and comorbidities including lobar ICH, nontraumatic cortical/convexity subarachnoid hemorrhage (cSAH), superficial siderosis, and inflammation (CAA with inflammation [CAA-ri]). Cognition and mortality were secondary outcomes. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine risk of seizures relative to clinical presentation. RESULTS: Two hundred eighty-four patients with CAA were identified, with median follow-up of 35.7 months (interquartile range = 13.5-61.3 months). Fifty-six patients (19.7%) had seizures; in 21 (37.5%) patients, seizures were the index feature leading to CAA diagnosis. Seizures were more frequent in females (p = 0.032) and patients with lobar ICH (p = 0.002), cSAH (p = 0.030), superficial siderosis (p < 0.001), and CAA-ri (p = 0.005), and less common in patients with microhemorrhage (p = 0.006). After controlling for age and sex, lobar ICH (odds ratio [OR] = 2.1, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.1-4.2), CAA-ri (OR = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.4-10.3), and superficial siderosis (OR = 3.7, 95% CI = 1.9-7.0) were independently associated with higher odds of incident seizures. CONCLUSIONS: Seizures are common in patients with CAA and are independently associated with lobar ICH, CAA-ri, and superficial siderosis. Our results may be applied to optimize clinical monitoring and management for patients with CAA.

Examining the role of the uncinate fasciculus in proper noun naming: awake brain tumor resections and stereo EEG targeted electrical stimulation multiple case study.

While there is strong evidence from lesion and functional imaging studies implicating the left anterior temporal pole (LTP) in naming unique entities, less is known about white matter tracts in category-specific naming. We present evidence that implicates the uncinate fasciculus (UF) in proper noun naming. First, we describe two patients with left LTP gliomas who developed category specific worsening in proper noun naming in real time during awake surgery when the UF was surgically involved . We then describe a third case involving targeted electrical stimulation of the UF using stereo-electroencephalography (sEEG) that resulted in category specific naming disturbance for proper nouns..

Injection of prophylactic lorazepam versus antiseizure drugs on the localization value of ictal SPECT studies and treatment-emergent adverse events: A single-center prospective study.

OBJECTIVE: We aimed to examine the impact of resumption of home antiseizure drugs alone (ASD-) compared with adjunct administration of scheduled intravenous (IV) lorazepam 2 mg every 6 h (ASD+) following ictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) injection on the localization value of SPECT studies and treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs). METHODS: We conducted a prospective study at Mayo Clinic inpatient epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) between January 2018 and May 2020 in Jacksonville, Florida. The ASD- and ASD+ groups were compared for concordance of SPECT studies with the epilepsy surgical conference (ESC) consensus or intracranial electroencephalography (icEEG) findings as reference. Treatment-emergent adverse events, obtained from surveys at 24 h and one week postictal SPECT injection, were also compared between both groups. RESULTS: Twenty-two consecutive patients with temporal (eight patients, 36%) and extratemporal (14 patients, 64%) epilepsy were included: 12 ASD+ and 10 ASD-. The two groups were well matched with regard to clinical and ictal SPECT injection characteristics including the occurrence of seizure between ictal and interictal SPECT injections. The localization value of SPECT studies was similar in the two groups. Patients in the ASD+ group reported higher rates of dizziness and excessive sedation at 24 h (p-value = 0.008). Fourteen patients (64%) underwent icEEG monitoring. For the entire cohort, the localization concordance of SPECT analysis by statistical parametric mapping (SPM) was superior to raw ictal SPECT (p-value = 0.003) and subtraction ictal SPECT coregistered to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (SISCOM; p-value = 0.021). Eventually, seven patients (31.8%) underwent resective brain surgery of whom four (57.1%) became seizure-free (median follow-up = 22 months). CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that resuming home ASDs without the addition of scheduled IV lorazepam following inpatient ictal SPECT injection is equally efficacious for seizure onset zone (SOZ) localization on SPECT studies, especially SPM. This approach is also associated with fewer transient TEAEs and lower financial cost with no difference in preventing seizure between ictal and interictal SPECT injections.

Ketamine in seizure management and future pharmacogenomic considerations.

Ketamine is a noncompetitive N-methyl-D-aspartate antagonist with emerging evidence for use in medically refractory epilepsy. We describe the novel use of low-dose intravenous (IV) ketamine transitioning to enteral formulation in a patient with drug-resistant localization-related refractory epilepsy. We performed a National Library of Medicine (NLM) literature review using search terms "ketamine", "low dose", and "seizure" for similar cases, followed by an illustrative clinical case. Our NLM search engine methodology yielded 24 hits, none of which described use of low-dose ketamine for seizures. Anesthetic doses are used for status epilepticus, but we show that in a patient with postoperative worsening of his chronic seizure burden, low-dose IV ketamine can be used to avoid oversedation and intubation. We demonstrate that IV ketamine can be transitioned to oral regimen to shorten length of stay in the intensive care unit and hospital and has future CYP2B6 pharmacogenomic considerations for further dose individualization.

The impact of stereotactic laser ablation at a typical epilepsy center.

PURPOSE: Stereotactic laser ablation (SLA) is a novel form of epilepsy surgery for patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy. We evaluated one hundred consecutive surgeries performed for patients with epilepsy to address the impact of SLA on our therapeutic approach, as well as patient outcomes. METHODS: A retrospective, single center analysis of the last one hundred neurosurgeries for epilepsy was performed from 2013 to 2015. Demographics, surgical procedures, and postoperative measures were assessed up to 5years to compare the effect of SLA on outcome. Confidence intervals (CI) and comparative tests of proportions compared outcomes for SLA and resective surgery. Procedural categorical comparison used Chi-square and Kaplan-Meier curves. Student t-test was utilized for single variables such as age at procedure and seizure onset. RESULTS: One hundred surgeries for epilepsy yielded thirty-three SLAs and twenty-one resections with a mean of 21.7-month and 21.3-month follow-up, respectively. The temporal lobe was the most common target for SLA (92.6%) and resection (75%). A discrete lesion was present on brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in 27/32 (84.4%) of SLA patients compared with 7/20 (35%) of resection patients with a normal MRI. Overall, 55-60% of patients became seizure-free (SF). Four of five patients with initial failure to SLA became SF with subsequent resection surgery. Complications were more frequent with resection although SF outcomes did not differ (Chi square; p=0.79). Stereotactic laser ablation patients were older than those with resections (47.0years vs. 35.4years, p=0.001). The mean length of hospitalization prior to discharge was shorter for SLA (1.18days) compared with open resection (3.43days; SD: 3.16 days) (p=0.0002). CONCLUSION: We now use SLA as a first line therapy at our center in patients with lesional temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) before resection. Seizure-free outcome with SLA and resection was similar but with a shorter length of stay. Long-term follow-up is recommended to determine sustained SF status from SLA.

Brain tumor related-epilepsy.

INTRODUCTION: Gliomas are commonly associated with the development of epilepsy; in some cases the two conditions share common pathogenic mechanisms and may influence each other. Brain tumor related-epilepsy (BTRE) complicates the clinical management of gliomas and can substantially affect daily life. STATE OF THE ART: The incidence of seizures is high in patients with slow growing tumors located in the frontotemporal regions. However, recent studies suggest that epileptogenesis may be more associated with tumor molecular genetic markers than tumor grade or location. Although the exact mechanism of epileptogenesis in glioma is incompletely understood, glutamate-induced excitotoxicity and disruption of intracellular communication have garnered the most attention. CLINICAL MANAGEMENT: Management of BTRE requires a multidisciplinary approach involving the use of antiepileptic drugs (AEDs), surgery aided by electrocorticography, and adjuvant chemoradiation. FUTURE DIRECTIONS: Insight into the mechanisms of glioma growth and epileptogenesis is essential to identify new treatment targets and to develop effective treatment for both conditions. Selecting AEDs tailored to act against known tumor molecular markers involved in the epileptogenesis could enhance treatment value and help inform individualized medicine in BRTE.

Neuropsychological outcomes following stereotactic laser amygdalohippocampectomy.

OBJECTIVE: The objective was to analyze neuropsychological testing data from 15 patients before and after stereotactic laser ablation surgery for temporal lobe epilepsy and to describe the seizure outcomes after stereotactic laser ablation surgery. METHODS: A retrospective review of 15 patients who underwent stereotactic laser ablation and who also underwent neuropsychological testing before and after surgery was performed. Verbal and visual memory was assessed in all 15 patients using California Verbal Learning Test and Wechsler Memory Scale IV. Naming was assessed in 9 of 15 patients using the Boston Naming Test. Statistical analysis was performed to determine clinically significant changes using previously validated reliable change indices and proprietary Advanced Clinical Solutions software. Seizure outcome data were evaluated using Engel classification. RESULTS: Postsurgery neuropsychological evaluation demonstrated that all 15 patients experienced at least 1 clinically significant decline in either verbal or visual memory. Ten patients in this series, including five with dominant-hemisphere surgery, demonstrated decline in delayed memory for narrative information (Logical Memory II). By contrast, the Boston Naming Test demonstrated more favorable results after surgery. Two of nine patients demonstrated a clinically significant increase in naming ability, and only one of nine patients demonstrated a clinically significant decline in naming ability. With at least 6months of follow-up after surgery, 33% reported seizure freedom. CONCLUSION: Stereotactic laser ablation can result in clinically significant and meaningful decline in verbal and visual memory when comparing patients to their own presurgical baseline. Naming ability, conversely, is much less likely to be impacted by stereotactic laser ablation and may improve after the procedure.

Early Postoperative Seizures Following Awake Craniotomy and Functional Brain Mapping for Lesionectomy.

OBJECTIVE: Awake craniotomy with electrocorticography (ECoG) and direct electrical stimulation (DES) facilitates lesionectomy while avoiding adverse effects. Early postoperative seizures (EPS), occurring within 7 days following surgery, can lead to morbidity. However, risk factors for EPS after awake craniotomy including clinical and ECoG data are not well defined. METHODS: We retrospectively studied the incidence and risk factors of EPS following awake craniotomy for lesionectomy, and report short-term outcomes between January 1, 2020, and December 31, 2022. RESULTS: We included 138 patients (56 female) who underwent 142 awake craniotomies, average age was 50.78 ± 15.97 years. Eighty-eight (63.7%) patients had a preoperative history of tumor-related epilepsy treated with antiseizure medication (ASM), 12 (13.6%) with drug-resistance. All others (36.3%) received ASM prophylaxis with levetiracetam perioperatively and continued for 14 days. An equal number of cases (71) each utilized a novel circle grid or strip electrodes for ECoG. There were 31 (21.8%) cases of intraoperative seizures, 16 with EPS (11.3%). Acute abnormality on early postoperative neuroimaging (P = 0.01), subarachnoid hemorrhage (P = 0.01), young age (P = 0.01), and persistent postoperative neurologic deficits (P = 0.013) were associated with EPS. Acute abnormality on neuroimaging remained significant in multivariate analysis. Outcomes during hospitalization and early outpatient follow up were worse with EPS. CONCLUSIONS: We report novel findings using ECoG and clinical features to predict EPS, including acute perioperative brain injury, persistent postoperative deficits and young age. Given worse outcomes with EPS, clinical indicators for EPS should alert clinicians of potential need for early postoperative EEG monitoring and perioperative ASM adjustment.

Radiologic Classification of Hippocampal Sclerosis in Epilepsy.

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common form of epilepsy that is often associated with hippocampal sclerosis (HS). Although HS is commonly considered a binary assessment in radiological evaluation, it is known that histopathological changes occur in distinct clusters. Some subtypes of HS only affect certain subfields, resulting in minimal changes to the overall volume of the hippocampus. This is likely a major reason why whole hippocampal volumetrics have underperformed versus expert readers. With recent advancements in MRI technology, it is now possible to characterize the substructure of the hippocampus more accurately. However, this is not consistently addressed in radiographic evaluations. The histological subtype of HS is critical for prognosis and treatment decision making, necessitating improved radiological classification of HS. The International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE) has issued a consensus classification scheme for subtyping HS histopathological changes. This review aims to explore how the ILAE subtypes of HS correlate with radiographic findings, introduce a grading system that integrates radiological and pathological reporting in HS, and outline an approach to detecting HS subtypes using MRI. This framework will not only benefit current clinical evaluations, but also enhance future studies involving high-resolution MRI in temporal lobe epilepsy.ABBREVIATIONS: CA = cornu ammonis; DG = dentate gyrus; HS = hippocampal sclerosis; ILAE = International League Against Epilepsy; SRLM = strata radiatum, lacunosum, and moleculare layers; TLE = temporal lobe epilepsy.

Neuromyelitis optica in patients with coexisting human immunodeficiency virus infections.

Two patients with known human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infections and receiving antiretroviral treatment developed neuromyelitis optica (Devic's disease). One patient tested positive for serum aquaporin-4 immunoglobulin G antibodies. Both patients were treated with high dose pulsed intravenous methylprednisolone followed by standard sessions of plasma exchange both at the onset attack and during disease relapses. For maintenance therapy, one patient received rituximab infusions and the second patient received mycophenolate mofetil orally. Despite treatment, both patients are currently wheelchair-bound due to severe paraparesis. Neuromyelitis optica can occur in the course of HIV infection and poses an ongoing therapeutic challenge.

Evaluation of the Patient With Paroxysmal Spells Mimicking Epileptic Seizures.

BACKGROUND: The diagnostic issue of paroxysmal spells, including epileptic seizure (ES) mimics, is one that neurologists frequently encounter. This review provides an up-to-date overview of the most common causes of ES mimics encountered in the outpatient setting. REVIEW SUMMARY: Paroxysmal spells are characterized by changes in awareness, attention, perception, or abnormal movements. These can be broadly classified as ES and nonepileptic spells (NES). NES mimics ES but are distinguished by their symptomatology and lack of epileptiform activity on electroencephalography. NES may have psychological or physiological underpinnings. Psychogenic non-ES are the most common mimics of ES. Physiological causes of NES include syncope, cerebrovascular, movement, and sleep-related disorders. CONCLUSIONS: Distinguishing NES from ES at times may be challenging even to the most experienced clinicians. However, detailed history with an emphasis on the clinical clues, including taking a moment-by-moment history of the event from the patient and observers and physical examination, helps create an appropriate differential diagnosis to guide further diagnostic testing. An accurate diagnosis of NES prevents iatrogenic harm, including unnecessary exposure to antiseizure medications and overuse of health care resources. It also allows for the correct specialist referral and appropriate treatment.

The evolution of antiseizure medication therapy selection in adults: Is artificial intelligence -assisted antiseizure medication selection ready for prime time?

Antiseizure medications (ASMs) are the mainstay of symptomatic epilepsy treatment. The primary goal of pharmacotherapy with ASMs in epilepsy is to achieve complete seizure remission while minimizing therapy-related adverse events. Over the years, more ASMs have been introduced, with approximately 30 now in everyday use. With such a wide variety, much guidance is needed in choosing ASMs for initial therapy, subsequent replacement monotherapy, or adjunctive therapy. The specific ASMs are typically tailored by the patient's related factors, including epilepsy syndrome, age, sex, comorbidities, and ASM characteristics, including the spectrum of efficacy, pharmacokinetic properties, safety, and tolerability. Weighing these key clinical variables requires experience and expertise that may be limited. Furthermore, with this approach, patients may endure multiple trials of ineffective treatments before the most appropriate ASM is found. A more reliable way to predict response to different ASMs is needed so that the most effective and tolerated ASM can be selected. Soon, alternative approaches, such as deep machine learning (ML), could aid the individualized selection of the first and subsequent ASMs. The recognition of epilepsy as a network disorder and the integration of personalized epilepsy networks in future ML platforms can also facilitate the prediction of ASM response. Augmenting the conventional approach with artificial intelligence (AI) opens the door to personalized pharmacotherapy in epilepsy. However, more work is needed before these models are ready for primetime clinical practice.

Clinical Biomarkers and Prediction Models for Poststroke Epilepsy: Have We Settled the Scores Yet?

In an era of time-dependent reperfusion and recanalization therapy for stroke leading to improved survival, there is a growing population at risk of poststroke epilepsy (PSE). Accumulating evidence suggests a multidirectional interaction among stroke, PSE, and dementia in stroke survivors. There is no evidence to justify prophylactic antiseizure medication (ASM) to reduce these morbidities. Although several predictive molecular biomarkers and scoring models have been proposed, they remain inadequately validated for stratifying risk and indicating who will benefit from prophylactic ASM. Studies leveraging advances in genetics, metabolomics, electrophysiology, imaging, and artificial intelligence (AI) may help to discover noninvasive molecular biomarkers and easy-to-score models. These discoveries should improve our understanding of epileptogenesis in PSE and identify new pharmacologic targets. Besides, accurately identifying high-risk patients and timely initiating prophylactic ASM therapy has the potential to disrupt the feed-forward multidirectional interaction among stroke, PSE, and dementia.

Case Report: "Aggressive" perioperative antiseizure medication prophylaxis in patients with glioma-related epilepsy at high risk of early postoperative seizures following awake craniotomy.

Early postoperative seizures (EPS) are a common complication of brain tumor surgery. EPS can lead to hemorrhage, cerebral hypoxia, increased intracranial pressure, longer hospitalization, reduced quality of life, decreased overall survival, and increased morbidity. However, there are no formal guidelines on perioperative antiseizure medication (ASM) management in patients with tumor-related epilepsy who are deemed high risk for EPS. In this study, we describe the case of a 38-year-old man with isocitrate dehydrogenase-mutant mixed glioma and two episodes of EPS manifesting with status epilepticus during prior tumor surgeries and who presented with tumor progression. The Tumor Board recommended awake craniotomy with direct electrical stimulation (DES). The patient was administered aggressive preoperative "prophylactic" ASMs by increasing the maintenance doses of lacosamide and levetiracetam by 25% 48 h before surgery. An intravenous load of fosphenytoin (20 mg/kg) was administered in the operating room before DES, followed by a maintenance dosing of 300 mg/day for 14 days. EPS did not occur, and he was discharged home on postoperative day 4. Our case illustrates that aggressive perioperative prophylactic ASM therapy beyond the maintenance ASM regimen can be considered in patients with tumor-related epilepsy at risk of EPS.

Intraoperative electrocorticography during laser-interstitial thermal therapy predicts seizure outcome in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

OBJECTIVE: Magnetic resonance-guided laser interstitial thermal therapy (MRLiTT) for treating temporal lobe epilepsy has recently gained popularity. We aimed to investigate the predictive value of pre-and post-MRLiTT epileptiform discharges (EDs) on intraoperative electrocorticography (iECoG) in seizure outcomes for patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (mTLE). METHODS: We conducted a pilot, prospective single-center cohort study on seven consecutive patients with mTLE that underwent MRLiTT. Pre- and post-MRLiTT iECoG was performed using a 1x8 contact depth electrode along the same trajectory used for the laser catheter. RESULTS: The responders had a robust reduction in ED frequency compared to pre-MRLiTT iECoG (86% vs 13%, p < 0.01). Clinical characteristics, including risk factors for epilepsy, duration of epilepsy, presence of mesial temporal lobe sclerosis, prior intracranial monitoring, the absolute frequency of pre- or post-MRLiTT EDs, and ablation volume were not significantly associated with responder status. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first demonstration that intraoperative reduction in EDs during mesial temporal lobe MRLiTT may potentially predict seizure outcomes and may serve as an intraoperative biomarker for satisfactory ablation. However, larger prospective studies are needed to confirm our findings and evaluate the utility of iECoG during MRLiTT. SIGNIFICANCE: iECoG during mesial temporal lobe MRLiTT may help assess seizure outcomes.

Pearls & Oy-sters: Harnessing New Diagnostic and Therapeutic Approaches to Treat a Patient With Genetic Drug-Resistant Focal Epilepsy.

Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is a congenital developmental malformation and is one of the leading causes of drug-resistant focal epilepsy (DRFE). Although focal epilepsies traditionally have been regarded as acquired disorders, increasing evidence suggests a substantial genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of focal structural epilepsies, including FCDs. Variations in the Dishevelled, Egl-10, and domain-containing protein 5 (DEPDC5) have recently emerged as a causative gene mutation in familial focal epilepsies associated with FCD type 2a, including bottom-of-sulcus dysplasia (BOSD). We present the case of a 20-year-old man with DRFE, positive for DEPDC5 c.1555C>T (p.GIn519*) heterozygous pathogenic variant. Initial 3T brain MRI was unrevealing, but subsequent 7T MRI including 7T edge-enhancing gradient echo revealed a left superior frontal sulcus BOSD concordant with the electroclinical data. The patient underwent treatment with MR-guided laser interstitial thermal ablation of the left frontal BOSD without intracranial EEG monitoring (skipped candidate), resulting in a seizure-free outcome of 9 months since the last follow-up. Our case highlights the real-world application of summative information obtained through advancements in epilepsy genetic testing, minimally invasive surgeries, and ultra-high field MRI, allowing us to provide a safe and effective treatment for a patient with a genetic DRFE.