Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

When should temporal-lobe epilepsy be treated surgically?

Susan S Spencer1

  • 1Department of Neurology, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT 06520-8018, USA. susan.spencer@yale.edu

The Lancet. Neurology
|July 10, 2003
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

The relationship between seizures, interictal spikes and antiepileptic drugs.

Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2016
Same author

Elevated basal glutamate and unchanged glutamine and GABA in refractory epilepsy: Microdialysis study of 79 patients at the yale epilepsy surgery program.

Annals of neurology·2016
Same author

Influence of anxiety on memory performance in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B·2013
Same author

Intracranially recorded interictal spikes: relation to seizure onset area and effect of medication and time of day.

Clinical neurophysiology : official journal of the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology·2013
Same author

Invasive evaluation.

Handbook of clinical neurology·2012
Same author

Suicide outcomes after resective epilepsy surgery.

Epilepsy & behavior : E&B·2011
Same journal

Resolution of expression of concern-Serotonergic pathology and disease burden in the premotor and motor phase of A53T α-synuclein parkinsonism: a cross-sectional study.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
Same journal

UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology: 75 years of innovation.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
Same journal

Correction to Lancet Neurol 2026; 25: 631.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
Same journal

Epstein-Barr virus and multiple sclerosis: from associations to mechanisms to potential therapies.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
Same journal

Correction to Lancet Neurol 2025; 24: 740-52.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
Same journal

Correction to Lancet Neurol 2026; 25: 357-67.

The Lancet. Neurology·2026
See all related articles

Mesial-temporal-lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is common and often refractory to medication. While surgery is successful for many, further research is needed to determine optimal treatment and long-term outcomes.

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Epileptology
  • Neurosurgery

Background:

  • Mesial-temporal-lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is the most common form of refractory partial epilepsy.
  • Diagnosis typically involves noninvasive studies like EEG, MRI, and PET scans, sometimes supplemented by invasive EEG.
  • MTLE is often associated with mesial temporal sclerosis, characterized by hippocampal neuronal loss and gliosis.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the current understanding of MTLE diagnosis and treatment.
  • To discuss the efficacy and remaining questions regarding medical and surgical interventions for MTLE.
  • To emphasize the need for long-term follow-up and large-scale analyses to guide optimal therapeutic strategies.

Main Methods:

  • Review of existing literature and clinical data on MTLE.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Analysis of diagnostic modalities including scalp and invasive EEG, neuroimaging, and neuropsychological assessment.
  • Evaluation of treatment outcomes for both medical and surgical interventions.

    • Main Results:

    • Medical treatment fails in approximately 75% of MTLE cases.
    • Surgical treatment demonstrates success rates similar to medical failure rates.
    • Significant questions persist regarding neurological consequences, quality of life improvements, and predictors of surgical success.

    Conclusions:

    • MTLE is a common, often refractory epilepsy where surgery is frequently considered.
    • Despite high surgical success rates, long-term outcomes and optimal treatment predictors require further investigation.
    • MTLE should be considered a surgical condition in most cases, pending further evidence.