Update on neuroimaging in epilepsy

Abstract

Neuroimaging in epilepsy is a very large and growing field. Researchers in this area have quickly adopted new methods, resulting in a lively literature. Basic features of common epilepsies are well known, but, outside of the specific area of epilepsy surgery evaluation, new methods evolving in the last few years have had limited new beneficial clinical impact. Here, an overview of the epilepsy neuroimaging literature of the last 5 years, with an emphasis on mesial temporal lobe epilepsy, idiopathic generalized epilepsies, presurgical evaluation and new developments in functional MRI is presented. The need for attention to clinical translation, as well as immediate opportunities and future trends in this field, are discussed.

Keywords::

• DTI
• epilepsy
• fMRI
• MRI
• MRS
• PET
• SPECT

Financial & competing interests disclosure

The author has no relevant affiliations or financial involvement with any organization or entity with a financial interest in or financial conflict with the subject matter or materials discussed in the manuscript. This includes employment, consultancies, honoraria, stock ownership or options, expert testimony, grants or patents received or pending, or royalties.

No writing assistance was utilized in the production of this manuscript.