[Magnetoencephalography analysis of epileptic foci]

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is very useful for presurgical evaluation for epilepsy surgery because of its high spatio-temporal resolution. Interictal spikes are usually analysed by MEG, whereas ictal studies are performed using EEG or SPECT. We investigated cases in which MEG and other physiological or radiological examinations revealed discordant results. The most important is precise clinical symptomatology. When combined with clinical informations, MEG can be a powerful tool for analyzing epileptic foci. Now pediatric epileptologists should discuss and treat intractable cases with epilepsy surgeons. In Japan, there are only few integrated, epilepsy diagnosis and treatment teams (comprehensive epilepsy programs). They should be widely established in university hospitals and reference centers.