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Geller AS, Teale P, Kronberg E, Ebersole JS. Magnetoencephalography for Epilepsy Presurgical Evaluation. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 2024; 24:35-46. [PMID: 38148387 DOI: 10.1007/s11910-023-01328-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/13/2023] [Indexed: 12/28/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE OF THE REVIEW Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a functional neuroimaging technique that records neurophysiology data with millisecond temporal resolution and localizes it with subcentimeter accuracy. Its capability to provide high resolution in both of these domains makes it a powerful tool both in basic neuroscience as well as clinical applications. In neurology, it has proven useful in its ability to record and localize epileptiform activity. Epilepsy workup typically begins with scalp electroencephalography (EEG), but in many situations, EEG-based localization of the epileptogenic zone is inadequate. The complementary sensitivity of MEG can be crucial in such cases, and MEG has been adopted at many centers as an important resource in building a surgical hypothesis. In this paper, we review recent work evaluating the extent of MEG influence of presurgical evaluations, novel analyses of MEG data employed in surgical workup, and new MEG instrumentation that will likely affect the field of clinical MEG. RECENT FINDINGS MEG consistently contributes to presurgical evaluation and these contributions often change the plan for epilepsy surgery. Extensive work has been done to develop new analytic methods for localizing the source of epileptiform activity with MEG. Systems using optically pumped magnetometry (OPM) have been successfully deployed to record and localize epileptiform activity. MEG remains an important noninvasive tool for epilepsy presurgical evaluation. Continued improvements in analytic methodology will likely increase the diagnostic yield of the test. Novel instrumentation with OPM may contribute to this as well, and may increase accessibility of MEG by decreasing cost.
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Affiliation(s)
- Aaron S Geller
- Department of Neurology, CU Anschutz Medical School, Aurora, CO, USA.
| | - Peter Teale
- Department of Neurology, CU Anschutz Medical School, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - Eugene Kronberg
- Department of Neurology, CU Anschutz Medical School, Aurora, CO, USA
| | - John S Ebersole
- Department of Neurology, Atlantic Neuroscience Institute, Summit, NJ, USA
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Bagić AI, Bowyer SM, Burgess RC, Funke ME, Lowden A, Mohamed IS, Wilson T, Zhang W, Zillgitt AJ, Tenney JR. Role of optically pumped magnetometers in presurgical epilepsy evaluation: Commentary of the American Clinical Magnetoencephalography Society. Epilepsia 2023; 64:3155-3159. [PMID: 37728519 DOI: 10.1111/epi.17770] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/09/2023] [Revised: 08/18/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 09/21/2023]
Abstract
One of the major challenges of modern epileptology is the underutilization of epilepsy surgery for treatment of patients with focal, medication resistant epilepsy (MRE). Aggravating this distressing failure to deliver optimum care to these patients is the underuse of proven localizing tools, such as magnetoencephalography (MEG), a clinically validated, non-invasive, neurophysiological method used to directly measure and localize brain activity. A sizable mass of published evidence indicates that MEG can improve identification of surgical candidates and guide pre-surgical planning, increasing the yield of SEEG and improving operative outcomes. However, despite at least 10 common, evidence supported, clinical scenarios in MRE patients where MEG can offer non-redundant information and improve the pre-surgical evaluation, it is regularly used by only a minority of USA epilepsy centers. The current state of the art in MEG sensors employs SQUIDs, which require cooling with liquid helium to achieve superconductivity. This sensor technology has undergone significant generational improvement since whole head MEG scanners were introduced around in 1990s, but still has limitations. Further advances in sensor technology which may make ME G more easily accessible and affordable have been eagerly awaited, and development of new techniques should be encouraged. Of late, optically pumped magnetometers (OPMs) have received considerable attention, even prompting some potential acquisitions of new MEG systems to be put on hold, based on a hope that OPMs will usher in a new generation of MEG equipment and procedures. The development of any new clinical test used to guide intracranial EEG monitoring and/or surgical planning must address several specific issues. The goal of this commentary is to recognize the current state of OPM technology and to suggest a framework for it to advance in the clinical realm where it can eventually be deemed clinically valuable to physicians and patients. The American Clinical MEG Society (ACMEGS) strongly supports more advanced and less expensive technology and looks forward to continuing work with researchers to develop new sensors and clinical devices which will improve the experience and outcome for patients, and perhaps extend the role of MEG. However, currently, there are no OPM devices ready for practical clinical use. Based on the engineering obstacles and the clinical tradeoffs to be resolved, the assessment of experts suggests that there will most likely be another decade relying solely on "frozen SQUIDs" in the clinical MEG field.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anto I Bagić
- University of Pittsburgh Comprehensive Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - Susan M Bowyer
- MEG Laboratory, Henry Ford Hospital, Wayne State University, Detroit, Michigan, USA
| | - Richard C Burgess
- Magnetoencephalography Laboratory, Cleveland Clinic Epilepsy Center, Cleveland, Ohio, USA
| | - Michael E Funke
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Texas Health Science Center, McGovern Medical School, Houston, Texas, USA
| | - Andrea Lowden
- Division of Pediatric Neurology, UT Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA
| | - Ismail S Mohamed
- Department of Pediatrics, University of Alabama, Birmingham, Alabama, USA
| | - Tony Wilson
- Institute for Human Neuroscience, Boys Town National Research Hospital, Boys Town, Nebraska, USA
| | - Wenbo Zhang
- Minnesota Epilepsy Group, Roseville, Minnesota, USA
| | - Andrew J Zillgitt
- Corewell Health William Beaumont University Hospital, Royal Oak, Minnesota, USA
| | - Jeffrey R Tenney
- MEG Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, University of Cincinnati College of Medicine, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA
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