Fast brain waves: A better biomarker for epilepsy
Some forms of epilepsy can’t be treated with medication and will eventually need surgery. To improve surgical outcomes, researchers at Boston Children’s are developing new techniques to detect the brain’s “epileptogenic zone” using noninvasive techniques like High-density scalp (HD) EEG and MEG. They have homed in on a newly-established biomarker for epilepsy — fast brain waves called high-frequency oscillations (HFOs) — that indicate which area of the brain is inducing seizures.
Epilepsy surgery: When it’s not good to wait
About a third of children with epilepsy do not get better with drug treatment. Many physicians are inclined to try additional drugs to control the seizures — and there are many to choose from. Researchers from our Epilepsy Center analyzed data from tens of thousands of patients that suggests if two or more well-chosen drugs have failed, and surgery is a safe option, there’s no benefit in holding off.
Robot-enhanced neurosurgery for nimbler seizure mapping
Physicians have traditionally performed invasive seizure monitoring to identify the area of the brain from which seizures originate. This approach involves surgically opening the skull and placing a grid of electrodes on the surface of the brain. Increasingly, Boston Children’s neurosurgeons are relying on stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG), a procedure in which electrodes are instead fed on tiny wires through trajectories drilled into the skull. These electrodes can reach deeper into a child’s brain and present a better opportunity for clinicians to determine the source of seizure activity.
