What is the diagnostic value of repeating a nondiagnostic video-EEG study?

Repeat video-EEG (VEEG) may increase diagnostic yield, but the test is resource intensive, time-consuming, and expensive and poses some potential risks to patients. It is also relatively common to monitor a patient for several days without capturing any clinical events. The purpose of this study was to determine the diagnostic value of repeat admissions for VEEG and to determine if the commonly available clinical information could predict the diagnostic outcome, "diagnostic" or "nondiagnostic," of a repeat study. A study was deemed diagnostic if the admission resulted in a definitive diagnosis of the patient's typical events. The authors retrospectively reviewed the charts of 3,727 patients completing scalp VEEG at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center from 2002 to 2009. Minors, mentally retarded patients, and patients readmitted for surgical procedures or presurgical localization were excluded. Single and multiple regressions were used to determine if any of the parameters could predict the diagnostic outcome of a repeat VEEG study. Only younger age was independently predictive of a diagnostic readmission (P < 0.05), while longer total duration of monitoring was suggestive (P = 0.07). A repeat VEEG study was useful in 55.2% of patients, most of whom were diagnosed after only 1 additional admission. In the patient population studied, 82.4% were diagnosed on the first admission (2,622 of 3,183), 52.9% on the second (46 of 87), and 40% on the third (2 of 5). Repeat VEEG admissions are useful, and clinical expertise may be the best tool for planning potential readmissions.

Effect of epilepsy magnetic source imaging on intracranial electrode placement.

OBJECTIVE: Intracranial electroencephalography (ICEEG) with chronically implanted electrodes is a costly invasive diagnostic procedure that remains necessary for a large proportion of patients who undergo evaluation for epilepsy surgery. This study was designed to evaluate whether magnetic source imaging (MSI), a noninvasive test based on magnetoencephalography source localization, can supplement ICEEG by affecting electrode placement to improve sampling of the seizure onset zone(s). METHODS: Of 298 consecutive epilepsy surgery candidates (between 2001 and 2006), 160 patients were prospectively enrolled by insufficient localization from seizure monitoring and magnetic resonance imaging results. Before presenting MSI results, decisions were made whether to proceed with ICEEG, and if so, where to place electrodes such that the hypothetical seizure-onset zone would be sampled. MSI results were then provided with allowance of changes to the original plan. RESULTS: MSI indicated additional electrode coverage in 18 of 77 (23%) ICEEG cases. In 39% (95% confidence interval, 16.4-61.4), seizure-onset ICEEG patterns involved the additional electrodes indicated by MSI. Sixty-two patients underwent surgical resection based on ICEEG recording of seizures. Highly localized MSI was significantly associated with seizure-free outcome (mean, 3.4 years; minimum, >1 year) for the entire surgical population (n = 62). INTERPRETATION: MSI spike localization increases the chance that the seizure-onset zone is sampled when patients undergo ICEEG for presurgical epilepsy evaluations. The clinical impact of this effect, improving diagnostic yield of ICEEG, should be considered in surgery candidates who do not have satisfactory indication of epilepsy localization from seizure semiology, electroencephalogram, and magnetic resonance imaging.

Functional imaging: II. Prediction of epilepsy surgery outcome.

OBJECTIVE: To gain information on the value of magnetic source imaging (MSI), 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET), and ictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) to predict seizure-free outcome following epilepsy surgery in patients who require intracranial electroencephalography (ICEEG). METHODS: This work was part of a prospective observation study of epilepsy surgery candidates not sufficiently localized with scalp EEG and MRI. Of 160 patients enrolled 62 completed ICEEG and subsequent surgical resection. Sixty-one percent resulted in an Engel I seizure-free outcome at a minimum of one-year follow-up (mean = 3.4 years). Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values were computed for each modality. Multivariate logistical regression was used to identify prediction of surgical outcome by imaging test. RESULTS: MSI sensitivity for a conclusively localized study was 55% with a positive predictive value of 78%. Eliminating non-diagnostic MSI cases (no spikes captured during recording) yielded a corrected negative predictive value of 64%. With available comparison subgroups FDG-PET and ictal SPECT values were similar to MSI. The OR (adjusted for epilepsy and MRI classification) for MSI prediction of seizure-free outcome was 4.4 (p =0.01). In cases with both PET and MSI, the adjusted OR for PET was 7.1 (p <0.01) and for MSI was 6.4 (p = 0.01). In the cases with all three tests (n = 27), ictal SPECT had the highest OR of 9.1 (p = 0.05). INTERPRETATION: MSI, FDG-PET, and ictal SPECT each have clinical value in predicting seizure-free surgical outcome in epilepsy surgery candidates who typically require ICEEG.

Functional imaging: I. Relative predictive value of intracranial electroencephalography.

OBJECTIVE: To gain information on the predictive and prognostic value of magnetic source imaging (MSI), 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose positron emission tomography ((18)FDG-PET), and ictal single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) as compared with intracranial electroencephalography (ICEEG) localization in epilepsy surgery. METHODS: This work was part of a cohort study of epilepsy surgery candidates not sufficiently localized with noninvasive studies. Of 160 patients enrolled over 4 years, 77 completed ICEEG seizure monitoring. Sensitivity, specificity, and predictive values relative to ICEEG were computed for each modality. RESULTS: Seizures were not captured in five patients. Of the 72 diagnostic ICEEG studies, seizure localization results were 74% localized, 10% multifocal, and 17% nonlocalized. Sixty-one percent were localized to neocortical regions. Depending on patient subgroup pairs, sensitivity ranged from 58 to 64% (MSI), 22 to 40% (PET), and 39 to 48% (SPECT); specificity ranges were 79 to 88% (MSI), 53 to 63% (PET), and 44 to 50% (SPECT). Gains in diagnostic yield were seen only with the combination of MSI and PET or MSI and ictal SPECT. Localization concordance with ICEEG was greatest with MSI, but a significant difference was demonstrated only between MSI and PET. Moderate redundancy was seen between PET and ictal SPECT (kappa = 0.452; p = 0.011). INTERPRETATION: Conclusively positive MSI has a high predictive value for seizures localized with ICEEG. Diagnostic gain may be achieved with addition of either PET or ictal SPECT to MSI. Diagnostic values for imaging tests are lower than "true values" because of the limitations of ICEEG as a gold standard.

Improved depiction of small anatomic structures in MR images using Gaussian-weighted spirals and zero-filled interpolation.

Partial-volume artifacts reduce the contrast and continuity of small structures in magnetic resonance images. Zero-filled interpolation (ZFI) has been known for some time as a useful technique to reduce partial-volume artifacts and improve the appearance of small structures and edges. However, its use is limited by the fact that ZFI can exacerbate image artifacts. For example, it can exacerbate Gibbs ringing, also known as the truncation artifact, which manifests itself as spurious ringing around sharp edges. Currently, the most common technique to address this problem is post-acquisition filtering, which causes blurring in the image. Using ZFI in conjunction with a variable-density sampling method designed to reduce ringing is proposed as a possible solution to this problem. This approach is demonstrated with a Gaussian-weighted spiral and is compared to conventional spiral sampling both with and without the application of a filter used to reduce ringing. The two spiral sampling techniques are compared using simulations, phantom images, and in vivo brain images. The Gaussian-weighted spiral demonstrates reduced ringing without the loss of spatial resolution commonly associated with post-acquisition filtering. Additionally, this sampling technique is shown to work well in conjunction with ZFI to reduce partial-volume artifacts without the apparent increase in Gibbs ringing usually associated with zero-filled reconstruction. This approach will be most useful for imaging techniques such as MR angiography which are known to be sensitive to partial-volume effects, as well as when imaging anatomic regions associated with more severe Gibbs ringing.