Preoperative electroencephalographic investigation in frontal lobe epilepsy: electroencephalographic and...

The first section of this article deals with specific anatomic and pathophysiologic factors which contribute to a poor EEG localization of the interictal epileptic abnormality and to the unreliable seizure onset localization commonly reported in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy. The localizing effectiveness of long term EEG monitoring was reviewed in four different groups of frontal lobe epileptic patients who underwent preoperative EEG investigation with extracranial and intracranial electrodes. The results of this study reveal a continuum distribution of interictal epileptic disturbances, ranging from focal abnormalities to lobar or multi-lobar epileptogenesis. A frontal lobe localization of the seizure generator based on ictal recordings obtained with extracranial electrodes is rather poor and much more reliable results can be obtained by depth-electroencephalography.