Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Magnetoencephalography: Clinical application in epilepsy

  • Published:
Current Neurology and Neuroscience Reports Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has developed to the point that it has now entered routine clinical application. Epilepsy MEG studies show that it can accurately localize spike sources—both ictal and interictal—as compared with both directly. Limitations involve difficulties in detecting complex or deep sources when recording spontaneous cerebral activity. MEG not only provides a novel tool to localize and characterize epileptiform disturbances, it also has an important role in determining the significance of abnormalities seen on both structural and functional imaging. Ultimately, MEG should play a major role in totally noninvasive epilepsy surgery evaluation.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References and Recommended Reading

  1. Gallen C, Hirschkoff E, Buchanan D: Magnetoencephalography and magnetic source imaging. Neuroimag Clin North Am 1995, 5:227–249.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Ricci GB, Romani GL, Salustri C, et al.: Study of focal epilepsy by multichannel neuromagnetic measurements. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1987, 66:358–368.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Ebersole JS: Magnetoencephalography/magnetic source imaging in the assessment of patients with epilepsy. Epilepsia 1997, 38(suppl 4):S1-S5.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Scherg M: Functional imaging and localization of electromagnetic brain activity. Brain Topogr 1992, 5:103–112.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Ebersole JS: Non-invasive pre-surgical evaluation with EEG/ MEG source analysis. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1999, 50(suppl):167–174.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Laxer KD, Garcia PA: Magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic resonance spectroscopy, positron emission tomography scanning, and single photon emission tomography. Neruosurg Clin North Am 1993, 4:199–209.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Sutherling WW, Crandall PH, Cahan LD, Barth DS: The magnetic field of epileptic spikes agrees with intracranial localizations in complex partial epilepsy. Neurology 1988, 38:778–786.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Balish M, Sato S, Connaughton P, Kufta C: Localization of implanted dipoles by magnetoencephalography. Neurology 1991, 41:1072–1076.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Rose DF, Sato S, Ducla-Soares E, Kufta CV: Magnetoencephalographic localization of subdural dipoles in a patient with temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 1991, 32:635–641.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Paetau R, Kajola M, Karhu J, et al.: Magnetoencephalographic localization of epileptic cortex—impact on surgical treatment. Ann Neurol 1992, 32:106–109.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  11. Stefan H, Schneider S, Feistel H, et al.: Ictal and interictal activity in partial epilepsy recorded with multichannel magnetoelectroencephalography: correlation of electroencephalography/electrocorticography, magnetic resonance imaging, single photon emission computed tomography, and positron emission tomography findings. Epilepsia 1992, 33:874–887.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  12. Ioannides AA, Muratore R, Balish M, Sato S: In vivo validation of distributed source solutions for the biomagnetic inverse problem. Brain Topogr 1993, 5:263–273.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Nakasato N, Levesque MF, Barth DS, et al.: Comparisons of MEG, EEG, and ECoG source localization in neocortical partial epilepsy in humans. Electroencephalogr Clin Neurophysiol 1994, 91:171–178.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  14. Smith JR, Gallen C, Orrison W, et al.: Role of multichannel magnetoencephalography in the evaluation of ablative seizure surgery candidates. Stereotact Funct Neurosurg 1994, 62:238–244.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  15. Knowlton RC, Laxer KD, Aminoff MJ, et al.: Magnetoencephalography in partial epilepsy: clinical yield and localization accuracy. Ann Neurol 1997, 42:622–631.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  16. Minassian BA, Otsubo H, Weiss S, et al.: Magnetoencephalographic localization in pediatric epilepsy surgery: comparison with invasive intracranial electroencephalography. Ann Neurol 1999, 46:627–633.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  17. Wheless JW, Willmore LJ, Breier JI, et al.: A comparison of magnetoencephalography, MRI, and V-EEG in patients evaluated for epilepsy surgery. Epilepsia 1999, 40:931–941.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  18. Mamelak AN, Lopez N, Akhtari M, Sutherling WW: Magnetoencephalography-directed surgery in patients with neocortical epilepsy. J Neurosurg 2002, 97:865–873.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Mikuni N, Nagamine T, Ikeda A, et al.: Simultaneous recording of epileptiform discharges by MEG and subdural electrodes in temporal lobe epilepsy. Neuroimage 1997, 5:298–306.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  20. Sutherling WW, Akhtari M, Mamelak AN, et al.: Dipole localization of human induced focal afterdischarge seizure in simultaneous magnetoencephalography and electrocorticography. Brain Topogr 2001, 14:101–116.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  21. Oishi M, Otsubo H, Kameyama S, et al.: Epileptic spikes: magnetoencephalography versus simultaneous electrocorticography. Epilepsia 2002, 43:1390–1395.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  22. Shigeto H, Morioka T, Hisada K, et al.: Feasibility and limitations of magnetoencephalographic detection of epileptic discharges: simultaneous recording of magnetic fields and electrocorticography. Neurol Res 2002, 24:531–536.This work is most valuable because of the fact that simultaneous intracranial electroencephalography and magnetoencephalography (MEG) studies were performed. From the eight patients studied with emporal lobe epilepsy, the authors were able to show that mesialonly spikes were not detected with MEG, and that spikes in the neocortex requried at least 3 cm2 of cortical surface to be captured.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  23. Stefan H, Schneider S, Abraham-Fuchs K, et al.: Magnetic source localization in focal epilepsy. Multichannel magnetoencephalography correlated with magnetic resonance brain imaging. Brain 1990, 113:1347–1359.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  24. Minami T, Tasaki K, Yamamoto T, et al.: Magneto-encephalographical analysis of focal cortical heterotopia. Dev Med Child Neurol 1996, 38:945–949.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  25. Taniguchi M, Yoshimine T, Kato A, et al.: Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor in the insular cortex. Three dimensional magnetoencephalographic localization of epileptic discharges. Neurol Res 1998, 20:433–438.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  26. Lamusuo S, Forss N, Ruottinen HM, et al.: [18F]FDG-PET and whole-scalp MEG localization of epileptogenic cortex. Epilepsia 1999, 40:921–930.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  27. Morioka T, Nishio S, Ishibashi H, et al.: Intrinsic epileptogenicity of focal cortical dysplasia as revealed by magnetoencephalography and electrocorticography. Epilepsy Res 1999, 33:177–187.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  28. Otsubo H, Sharma R, Elliott I, et al.: Confirmation of two magnetoencephalographic epileptic foci by invasive monitoring from subdural electrodes in an adolescent with right frontocentral epilepsy. Epilepsia 1999, 40:608–613.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  29. Baumgartner C, Pataraia E, Lindinger G, Deecke L: Neuromagnetic recordings in temporal lobe epilepsy. J Clin Neurophysiol 2000, 17:177–189.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  30. Otsubo H, Ochi A, Elliott I, et al.: MEG predicts epileptic zone in lesional extrahippocampal epilepsy: 12 pediatric surgery cases. Epilepsia 2001, 42:1523–1530.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  31. Ebersole JS, Squires K, Gamelin J, et al.: Dipole models of temporal lobe spikes from simultaneous MEG and EEG. In Biomagnetism: Fundamental Research and Clinical Applications. Edited by Bea C. Amsterdam: Elsevier Science; 1995: 20–22.

    Google Scholar 

  32. Ishibashi H, Morioka T, Shigeto H, et al.: Three-dimensional localization of subclinical ictal activity by magnetoencephalography: correlation with invasive monitoring. Surg Neurol 1998, 50:157–163.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  33. Oishi M, Kameyama S, Morota N, et al.: Fusiform gyrus epilepsy: the use of ictal magnetoencephalography. Case report. J Neurosurg 2002, 97:200–204.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  34. Eliashiv DS, Elsas SM, Squires K, et al.: Ictal magnetic source imaging as a localizing tool in partial epilepsy. Neurology 2002, 59:1600–1610.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  35. Iwasaki M, Nakasato N, Shamoto H, et al.: Surgical implications of neuromagnetic spike localization in temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia 2002, 43:415–424.This study showed a new use for magnetoencephalography in the evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy. Spikes sources that are predominantly localized in the anterior temporal region have good surgical outcome, whereas those with spikes more widely scattered probably should have intracranial electroencephalographic evaluations to confirm localization and improve surgical outcome.

    Article  PubMed  Google Scholar 

  36. Landau WM, Kleffner F: Syndrome of acquired aphasia with convulsive disorder in children. Neurology 1957, 7:523–530.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  37. Paetau R, Granstrom ML, Blomstedt G, et al.: Magnetoencephalography in presurgical evaluation of children with the Landau-Kleffner syndrome. Epilepsia 1999, 40:326–335.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  38. Sobel DF, Aung M, Otsubo H, Smith MC: Magnetoencephalography in children with Landau-Kleffner syndrome and acquired epileptic aphasia. Am J Neuroradiol 2000, 21:301–307.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  39. Gallen CC, Tecoma E, Iragui V, et al.: Magnetic source imaging of abnormal low-frequency magnetic activity in presurgical evaluations of epilepsy. Epilepsia 1997, 38:452–460.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  40. Ishibashi H, Simos PG, Castillo EM, et al.: Detection and significance of focal, interictal, slow-wave activity visualized by magnetoencephalography for localization of a primary epileptogenic region. J Neurosurg 2002, 96:724–730.

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  41. Blume WT, Pillay N:Electrographic and clinical correlates of secondary bilateral synchrony. Epilepsia 1985, 26:636–641.

    PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

  42. Kirchberger K, Hummel C, Stefan H: Postoperative multichannel magnetoencephalography in patients with recurrent seizures after epilepsy surgerya Acta Neurol Scand 1998, 98:1–7.

    Article  PubMed  CAS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. UAB Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Medicine, 1719 6th Avenue South, Suite 312, 35294, Birmingham, AL, USA

    Robert C. Knowlton MD

Authors
  1. Robert C. Knowlton MD
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Knowlton, R.C. Magnetoencephalography: Clinical application in epilepsy. Curr Neurol Neurosci Rep 3, 341–348 (2003). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-003-0012-2

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s11910-003-0012-2

Keywords

Search

Navigation