Modeling of intracerebral interictal epileptic discharges: Evidence for network interactions

Publication date: June 2018
Source:Clinical Neurophysiology, Volume 129, Issue 6
Author(s): Stephan Meesters, Pauly Ossenblok, Albert Colon, Louis Wagner, Olaf Schijns, Paul Boon, Luc Florack, Andrea Fuster
ObjectiveThe interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) occurring in stereotactic EEG (SEEG) recordings are in general abundant compared to ictal discharges, but difficult to interpret due to complex underlying network interactions. A framework is developed to model these network interactions.MethodsTo identify the synchronized neuronal activity underlying the IEDs, the variation in correlation over time of the SEEG signals is related to the occurrence of IEDs using the general linear model. The interdependency is assessed of the brain areas that reflect highly synchronized neural activity by applying independent component analysis, followed by cluster analysis of the spatial distributions of the independent components. The spatiotemporal interactions of the spike clusters reveal the leading or lagging of brain areas.ResultsThe analysis framework was evaluated for five successfully operated patients, showing that the spike cluster that was related to the MRI-visible brain lesions coincided with the seizure onset zone. The additional value of the framework was demonstrated for two more patients, who were MRI-negative and for whom surgery was not successful.ConclusionsA network approach is promising in case of complex epilepsies.SignificanceAnalysis of IEDs is considered a valuable addition to routine review of SEEG recordings, with the potential to increase the success rate of epilepsy surgery.



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