Kochi: A hospital based in Kerala has developed and implemented a new Computational tools which can accurately identify “epileptic focus”Accurate identification of which is a big challenge Epilepsy surgery.
center for Epilepsy Multiple studies were conducted in this regard between 2015 and 2019 at Amrita Hospital here on around 100 difficult-to-treat epilepsy patients, a statement said here.
“Epilepsy is one of the most common neurological disorders affecting about six million people in India. In 70 percent of these patients, seizures can be controlled with medical treatment,” he says.
However, 30 percent of patients (approximately 16 lakh patients in India) have drug-resistant epilepsy, a severe form of epilepsy that does not respond to medical treatment, he said.
Surgery may be used to remove the “epileptic focus” from which the seizures are occurring in patients who have not been helped by medical treatment.
Amrita Advanced Center for Epilepsy, Amrita Hospital, Clinical Professor, Dr. The center has developed and implemented new computational tools that can accurately identify epileptic foci, Sibi Gopinath said.
“In many patients with drug-resistant epilepsy, even high-resolution MRI scans fail to identify the specific brain regions from which the seizures originate,” she said.
Due to which epilepsy surgery becomes difficult for these patients. Without adequate treatment options, their quality of life is reduced and they become dependent on others due to unexpected and frequent attacks, she said.
With this new technology, more epilepsy patients who previously had no surgical treatment options can now undergo surgery and be free from seizures, she explained.
Accurate identification of epileptic foci in the brain will help surgeons to precisely remove abnormal brain tissue and reduce the risks and side effects of epilepsy surgery, the health expert added.
These computational tools use images of the brain from PET and MRI scans and EEG recordings of the brain.
An EEG (electroencephalogram) is a recording of brain waves by placing electrodes on the scalp or surgically placed inside the brain (stereo EEG).
By integrating brain images and EEG data, computational tools rank brain regions from most to least abnormal to precisely identify epileptic foci for planning surgery.
Accurate identification of epileptic foci not only helps in obtaining better results in epilepsy surgery, but also in the implementation of new treatment methods such as deep brain stimulation or laser ablation for difficult-to-treat epilepsy cases, the statement added.
