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Solli E, Colwell NA, Markosian C, Johal AS, Houston R, Iqbal MO, Say I, Petrsoric JI, Tomycz LD. Underutilization of advanced presurgical studies and high rates of vagus nerve stimulation for drug-resistant epilepsy: a single-center experience and recommendations. Acta Neurochir (Wien) 2022; 164:565-573. [PMID: 34773497 DOI: 10.1007/s00701-021-05055-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2021] [Accepted: 10/29/2021] [Indexed: 10/19/2022]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Epilepsy surgery continues to be profoundly underutilized despite its safety and effectiveness. We sought to investigate factors that may contribute to this phenomenon, with a particular focus on the antecedent underutilization of appropriate preoperative studies. METHODS We reviewed patient data from a pediatric epilepsy clinic over an 18-month period. Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) were categorized according to brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings (lesional, MRI-negative, or multifocal abnormalities) and type of epilepsy diagnosis based on semiology and electroencephalography (EEG) (focal or generalized). We then analyzed the rates of diagnostic test utilization, surgical referral, and subsequent epilepsy surgery as well as vagus nerve stimulation (VNS). RESULTS Of the 249 patients with a diagnosis of epilepsy, 138 (55.4%) were found to have DRE. Excluding the 10 patients with DRE who did not undergo MRI, 76 patients (59.4%) were found to be MRI-negative (non-lesional epilepsy), 37 patients (28.9%) were found to have multifocal abnormalities, and 15 patients (11.7%) were found to have a single epileptogenic lesion on MRI (lesional epilepsy). Positron emission tomography (PET) and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) were each completed in nine patients (7.0%) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) in four patients (3.1%). Despite the low utilization rate of adjunctive studies, over half (56.3%) ultimately underwent VNS alone, and 8.6% ultimately underwent definitive intracranial resection or disconnection surgery. CONCLUSIONS The underutilization of appropriate non-invasive, presurgical testing in patients with focal DRE may in part explain the continued underutilization of definitive, resective/disconnective surgery. For patients without access to a high-volume, multidisciplinary surgical epilepsy center, adjunctive presurgical studies [e.g., PET, SPECT, MEG, electrical source imaging (ESI), EEG-functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI)], even when available, are rarely ordered, and this may contribute to excessive rates of VNS in lieu of definitive intracranial surgery.
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Tripathi M, Kaur K, Ramanujam B, Viswanathan V, Bharti K, Singh G, Singh V, Garg A, Bal CS, Tripathi M, Sharma MC, Pandey R, Dash D, Mandal P, Chandra PS. Diagnostic added value of interictal magnetic source imaging in presurgical evaluation of persons with epilepsy: A prospective blinded study. Eur J Neurol 2021; 28:2940-2951. [PMID: 34124810 DOI: 10.1111/ene.14935] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Revised: 03/27/2021] [Accepted: 05/06/2021] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE In presurgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery, information is sourced from various imaging modalities to accurately localize the epileptogenic zone. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a newer noninvasive technique for localization. However, there is limited literature to evaluate if MEG provides additional advantage over the conventional imaging modalities in clinical decision making. The objective of this study was to assess the diagnostic added value of MEG in decision making before epilepsy surgery. METHOD This was a prospective observational study. Patients underwent 3 h of recording in a MEG scanner, and the resulting localizations were compared with other complimentary investigations. Added value of MEG (considered separately from high-density electroencephalography) was defined as the frequency of cases in which (i) the information provided by magnetic source imaging (MSI) avoided implantation of intracranial electrodes and the patient was directly cleared for surgery, and (ii) MSI indicated additional substrates for implantation of intracranial electrodes. Postoperative seizure freedom was used as the diagnostic reference by which to measure the localizing accuracy of MSI. RESULTS A total of 102 patients underwent epilepsy surgery. MEG provided nonredundant information, which contributed to deciding the course of surgery in 33% of the patients, and prevented intracranial recordings in 19%. A total of 76% of the patients underwent surgical resection in sublobes concordant with MSI localization, and the diagnostic odds ratio for good (Engel I) outcome in these patients was 2.3 (95% confidence interval 0.68, 7.86; p = 0.183) after long-term follow-up of 36 months. CONCLUSION Magnetic source imaging yields additional useful information which can significantly alter as well as improve the surgical strategy for persons with epilepsy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Manjari Tripathi
- Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Kirandeep Kaur
- Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.,MEG Facility, National Brain Research Institute, Manesar, India
| | | | - Vibhin Viswanathan
- Neurosurgery, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.,MEG Resource Facility, Collaborative Project Between AIIMS & NBRC, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, India
| | - Kamal Bharti
- MEG Resource Facility, Collaborative Project Between AIIMS & NBRC, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, India
| | - Gaurav Singh
- MEG Resource Facility, Collaborative Project Between AIIMS & NBRC, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, India
| | - Vivek Singh
- MEG Resource Facility, Collaborative Project Between AIIMS & NBRC, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, India
| | - Ajay Garg
- Neuroradiology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Chandra Sekhar Bal
- Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Madhavi Tripathi
- Nuclear Medicine, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | | | - Ravindra Pandey
- Biostatistics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Deepa Dash
- Neurology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India
| | - Pravat Mandal
- MEG Resource Facility, Collaborative Project Between AIIMS & NBRC, National Brain Research Center, Manesar, India
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Samanta D, Singh R, Gedela S, Scott Perry M, Arya R. Underutilization of epilepsy surgery: Part II: Strategies to overcome barriers. Epilepsy Behav 2021; 117:107853. [PMID: 33678576 PMCID: PMC8035223 DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2021.107853] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 02/05/2021] [Accepted: 02/06/2021] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Interventions focused on utilization of epilepsy surgery can be divided into groups: those that improve patients' access to surgical evaluation and those that facilitate completion of the surgical evaluation and treatment. Educational intervention, technological innovation, and effective coordination and communication can significantly improve patients' access to surgery. Patient and public facing, individualized (analog and/or digital) communication can raise awareness and acceptance of epilepsy surgery. Educational interventions aimed at providers may mitigate knowledge gaps using practical and concise consensus statements and guidelines, while specific training can improve awareness around implicit bias. Innovative technology, such as clinical decision-making toolkits within the electronic medical record (EMR), machine learning techniques, online decision-support tools, nomograms, and scoring algorithms can facilitate timely identification of appropriate candidates for epilepsy surgery with individualized guidance regarding referral appropriateness, postoperative seizure freedom rate, and risks of complication after surgery. There are specific strategies applicable for epilepsy centers' success: building a multidisciplinary setup, maintaining/tracking volume and complexity of cases, collaborating with other centers, improving surgical outcome with reduced complications, utilizing advanced diagnostics tools, and considering minimally invasive surgical techniques. Established centers may use other strategies, such as multi-stage procedures for multifocal epilepsy, advanced functional mapping with tailored surgery for epilepsy involving the eloquent cortex, and generation of fresh hypotheses in cases of surgical failure. Finally, improved access to epilepsy surgery can be accomplished with policy changes (e.g., anti-discrimination policy, exemption in transportation cost, telehealth reimbursement policy, patient-centered epilepsy care models, pay-per-performance models, affordability and access to insurance, and increased funding for research). Every intervention should receive regular evaluation and feedback-driven modification to ensure appropriate utilization of epilepsy surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- Debopam Samanta
- Neurology Division, Department of Pediatrics, University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Little Rock, AR, United States.
| | - Rani Singh
- Department of Pediatrics, Atrium Health/Levine Children's Hospital, United States
| | - Satyanarayana Gedela
- Department of Pediatrics, Emory University College of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States; Children's Healthcare of Atlanta, United States
| | - M Scott Perry
- Cook Children's Medical Center, Fort Worth, TX, United States
| | - Ravindra Arya
- Division of Neurology, Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH, United States; Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, OH, United States
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Solli E, Colwell NA, Say I, Houston R, Johal AS, Pak J, Tomycz L. Deciphering the surgical treatment gap for drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE): A literature review. Epilepsia 2020; 61:1352-1364. [PMID: 32558937 DOI: 10.1111/epi.16572] [Citation(s) in RCA: 30] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/03/2020] [Revised: 04/28/2020] [Accepted: 05/14/2020] [Indexed: 12/18/2022]
Abstract
Patients with drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) rarely achieve seizure freedom with medical therapy alone. Despite being safe and effective for select patients with DRE, epilepsy surgery remains heavily underutilized. Multiple studies have indicated that the overall rates of surgery in patients with DRE have stagnated in recent years and may be decreasing, even when hospitalizations for epilepsy-related problems are on the rise. Ultimately, many patients with DRE who might otherwise benefit from surgery continue to have intractable seizures, lacking access to the full spectrum of available treatment options. In this article, we review the various factors accounting for the persistent underutilization of epilepsy surgery and uncover several key themes, including the persistent knowledge gap among physicians in identifying potential surgical candidates, lack of coordinated patient care, patient misconceptions of surgery, and socioeconomic disparities impeding access to care. Moreover, factors such as the cost and complexity of the preoperative evaluation, a lack of federal resource allocation for the research of surgical therapies for epilepsy, and difficulties recruiting patients to clinical trials all contribute to this multifaceted dilemma.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elena Solli
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Nicole A Colwell
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Irene Say
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Rebecca Houston
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Anmol S Johal
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Jayoung Pak
- Department of Neurosurgery, Rutgers New Jersey Medical School, Newark, NJ, USA
| | - Luke Tomycz
- New Jersey Neuroscience Institute, Morristown, NJ, USA
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Mohamed IS, Toffa DH, Robert M, Cossette P, Bérubé AA, Saint-Hilaire JM, Bouthillier A, Nguyen DK. Utility of magnetic source imaging in nonlesional focal epilepsy: a prospective study. Neurosurg Focus 2020; 48:E16. [DOI: 10.3171/2020.1.focus19877] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/11/2019] [Accepted: 01/28/2020] [Indexed: 11/06/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVEFor patients with nonlesional refractory focal epilepsy (NLRFE), localization of the epileptogenic zone may be more arduous than for other types of epilepsy and frequently requires information from multiple noninvasive presurgical modalities and intracranial EEG (icEEG). In this prospective, blinded study, the authors assessed the clinical added value of magnetic source imaging (MSI) in the presurgical evaluation of patients with NLRFE.METHODSThis study prospectively included 57 consecutive patients with NLRFE who were considered for epilepsy surgery. All patients underwent noninvasive presurgical evaluation and then MSI. To determine the surgical plan, discussion of the results of the presurgical evaluation was first undertaken while discussion participants were blinded to the MSI results. MSI results were then presented. MSI influence on the initial management plan was assessed.RESULTSMSI results influenced patient management in 32 patients. MSI results led to the following changes in surgical strategy in 14 patients (25%): allowing direct surgery in 6 patients through facilitating the detection of subtle cortical dysplasia in 4 patients and providing additional concordant diagnostic information to other presurgical workup in another 2 patients; rejection of surgery in 3 patients originally deemed surgical candidates; change of plan from direct surgery to icEEG in 2 patients; and allowing icEEG in 3 patients deemed not surgical candidates. MSI results led to changed electrode locations and contact numbers in another 18 patients. Epilepsy surgery was performed in 26 patients influenced by MSI results and good surgical outcome was achieved in 21 patients.CONCLUSIONSThis prospective, blinded study showed that information provided by MSI allows more informed icEEG planning and surgical outcome in a significant percentage of patients with NLRFE and should be included in the presurgical workup in those patients.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ismail Sidky Mohamed
- Departments of 4Pediatrics, Division of Neurology, and
- 5Neurology, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama
| | | | - Manon Robert
- 3Neuropsychology and Cognition Research Center, Psychology Department, Université de Montréal, Quebec, Canada; and
| | | | | | | | - Alain Bouthillier
- 2Neurosurgery, Montreal University Health Center, Université de Montréal, and
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Carrette E, Stefan H. Evidence for the Role of Magnetic Source Imaging in the Presurgical Evaluation of Refractory Epilepsy Patients. Front Neurol 2019; 10:933. [PMID: 31551904 PMCID: PMC6746885 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.00933] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2019] [Accepted: 08/12/2019] [Indexed: 12/03/2022] Open
Abstract
Magnetoencephalography (MEG) in the field of epilepsy has multiple advantages; just like electroencephalography (EEG), MEG is able to measure the epilepsy specific information (i.e., the brain activity reflecting seizures and/or interictal epileptiform discharges) directly, non-invasively and with a very high temporal resolution (millisecond-range). In addition MEG has a unique sensitivity for tangential sources, resulting in a full picture of the brain activity when combined with EEG. It accurately allows to perform source imaging of focal epileptic activity and functional cortex and shows a specific high sensitivity for a source in the neocortex. In this paper the current evidence and practice for using magnetic source imaging of focal interictal and ictal epileptic activity during the presurgical evaluation of drug resistant patients is being reviewed.
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Affiliation(s)
- Evelien Carrette
- Reference Centre for Refractory Epilepsy, Ghent University Hospital, Ghent, Belgium
| | - Hermann Stefan
- Department of Neurology-Biomagnetism, University Hospital Erlangen, Erlangen, Germany
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Gofshteyn JS, Le T, Kessler S, Kamens R, Carr C, Gaetz W, Bloy L, Roberts TPL, Schwartz ES, Marsh ED. Synthetic aperture magnetometry and excess kurtosis mapping of Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is predictive of epilepsy surgical outcome in a large pediatric cohort. Epilepsy Res 2019; 155:106151. [PMID: 31247475 PMCID: PMC6699633 DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2019.106151] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2019] [Revised: 05/23/2019] [Accepted: 06/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE Resective surgery is the most effective treatment option for patients with refractory epilepsy; however identification of patients who will benefit from epilepsy surgery remains challenging. Synthetic aperture magnetometry and excess kurtosis mapping (SAM(g2)) of magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive tool that warrants further examination in the pediatric epilepsy population. Here, we examined the utility of MEG with SAM(g2) to determine if MEG epileptiform foci correlates with surgical outcome and to develop a predictive model incorporating MEG information to best assess likelihood of seizure improvement/freedom from resective surgery. METHODS 564 subjects who had MEG at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia between 2010-2015 were screened. Clinical epilepsy history and prior electrographic records were extracted and reviewed and correlated with MEG findings. MEG assessments were made by both a neurologist and neuroradiologist. Predictive models were developed to assess the utility of MEG in determining Engel class at one year and five years after resective epilepsy surgery. RESULTS The number of MEG spike foci was highly associated with Engel class outcome at both one year and five years; however, using MEG data in isolation was not significantly predictive of 5 year surgical outcome. When combined with clinical factors; scalp EEG (single ictal onset zone), MRI (lesional or not), age and sex in a logistic regression model MEG foci was significant for Engel class outcome at both 1 year (p = 0.03) and 5 years (0.02). The percent correctly classified for Engel class at one year was 78.43% and the positive predictive value was 71.43. SIGNIFICANCE MEG using SAM(g2) analysis in an important non-invasive tool in the identification of those patients who will benefit most from surgery. Integrating MEG data analysis into pre-surgical evaluation can help to predict epilepsy outcome after resective surgery in the pediatric population if utilized with skilled interpretation.
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Affiliation(s)
- J S Gofshteyn
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, Weill Cornell Medicine, New York, NY, United States; New-York Presbyterian Hospital, New York, NY, United States
| | - T Le
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
| | - S Kessler
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - R Kamens
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
| | - C Carr
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States
| | - W Gaetz
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - L Bloy
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - T P L Roberts
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - E S Schwartz
- Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Department of Radiology, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States
| | - E D Marsh
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, United States; Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania, United States.
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