Can ictal SPECT make a comeback in epilepsy patients?

A feasibility study could could revive interest in SPECT seizure imaging to help neurosurgeons guide brain surgery in epilepsy patients, according to a team in Switzerland.The researchers leveraged what they described as an untapped opportunity that allowed them to perform SPECT just seconds after triggering seizures, with the imaging visualizing brain regions associated with language difficulties in three patients, noted lead author Sabry Barlatey, MD, PhD, of University Hospital of Bern, and colleagues.“We show that triggering of seizures with direct electric stimulation for ictal SPECT imaging is convenient, spares resources, and can be clinically useful,” the group wrote. The article was published January 11 in the Journal of Nuclear Medicine.Delineating brain areas of seizure onset and propagation is a necessary step toward tailoring surgery for focal epilepsy. Ictal SPECT is a key method to capture complete views of propagating seizures by imaging areas of parenchymal hyperperfusion, they explained. However, the unpredictable timing of fleeting seizures in patients renders ictal SPECT acquisitions logistically challenging, they noted.“Most epilepsy centers, including ours, abandoned this informative technique,” the group wrote.However, patients with epilepsy often undergo stereotactic electroencephalography (sEEG) monitoring. This involves placing electrodes directly into specific regions of the brain to identify the origin of seizures. sEEG is also used to trig...
Source: AuntMinnie.com Headlines - Category: Radiology Authors: Tags: Subspecialties Neuroradiology Source Type: news