Search research articles

ABOUT JoVE

Overview Leadership Blog JoVE Help Center

AUTHORS

Publishing Process Editorial Board Scope & Policies Peer Review FAQ Submit

LIBRARIANS

Testimonials Subscriptions Access Resources Library Advisory Board FAQ

RESEARCH

JoVE Journal Methods Collections JoVE Encyclopedia of Experiments Archive

EDUCATION

JoVE Core JoVE Business JoVE Science Education JoVE Lab Manual Faculty Resource Center Faculty Site

Terms & Conditions of Use

Related Concept Videos

Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview

Epilepsy and Seizures: Overview

Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease marked by recurrent, unpredictable seizures. These seizures are caused by abnormal electrical discharges in the brain, leading to behavior, sensation, or consciousness alterations. They can also cause transient impairment of awareness, interfering with daily activities.
Various factors can trigger epilepsy, including genetic factors, brain damage, metabolic causes, and unknown etiology. Diagnosis of epilepsy involves electroencephalography (EEG), which...

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive Therapy

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), or shock therapy, remains a critical biomedical intervention for severe, treatment-resistant depression. While its origins can be traced back to Hippocrates' observations that malaria-induced convulsions alleviated mental illness, modern ECT has evolved significantly from its earlier, more primitive applications. First introduced in 1938 by Ugo Cerletti and his colleagues, ECT involves inducing controlled seizures using electrical currents. In its early years,...

You might also read

Related Articles

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

Sort by

Same author

Thalamic connectivity mirrors spatial maps of network dysfunction in nonlesional focal epilepsy.

Epilepsia·2026

Same author

Mood and Anxiety Disorders and Suicidality in Patients With Newly Diagnosed Focal Epilepsy: An Analysis of a Complex Comorbidity.

Neurology·2025

Same author

Rapid resolution of depression and epilepsy following resection of a septal region tumor: illustrative case.

Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons·2025

Same author

Influences of electrode density on intracranial seizure localisation: a single-blinded randomised crossover study.

EBioMedicine·2025

Same author

Stimulation-based compassion mapping to assess risk of insular resection for surgical epilepsy management: illustrative case.

Journal of neurosurgery. Case lessons·2024

Same author

Surgical outcomes following resection in patients with language dominant posterior quadrant epilepsy.

Epilepsy & behavior reports·2024

Search research articles

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Published on: September 20, 2024

Can magnetoencephalography aid epilepsy surgery?

Robert C Knowlton¹

¹UAB Seizure Monitoring Unit, Department of Neurology University of Alabama at Birmingham Epilepsy Center, Birmingham, Alabama, USA. robertknowlton@mac.com

Epilepsy Currents

|February 13, 2008

Summary

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) offers precise epilepsy localization, surpassing EEG in sensitivity and speed. Its clinical value in surgical decision-making for epilepsy requires further clarification despite proven technical capabilities.

More Related Videos

Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Published on: April 15, 2015

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Published on: December 6, 2016

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jul 7, 2026

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy

Published on: September 20, 2024

Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Investigating the Function of Deep Cortical and Subcortical Structures Using Stereotactic Electroencephalography: Lessons from the Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Published on: April 15, 2015

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Interictal High Frequency Oscillations Detected with Simultaneous Magnetoencephalography and Electroencephalography as Biomarker of Pediatric Epilepsy

Published on: December 6, 2016

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Medical Imaging
Epileptology

Background:

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) has a long history in epilepsy research and development.
Spike source estimation in MEG has been technically and clinically validated for most partial epilepsies.

Purpose of the Study:

To clarify the clinical value of epileptiform discharge identification and localization using MEG for epilepsy surgery.
To determine if MEG's advanced capabilities offer significant clinical advantages over electroencephalography (EEG).

Main Methods:

Review of existing technical and clinical validation studies for MEG in epilepsy.
Comparison of MEG's high-resolution, near-instantaneous recording capabilities with EEG's long-term seizure capture.

Main Results:

MEG demonstrates superior detection sensitivity and spike localization precision compared to EEG.
Technical validation is established, but the definitive clinical impact on surgical localization remains a key question.

Conclusions:

While MEG offers advanced technical capabilities for epilepsy analysis, its crucial role in surgical decision-making requires further clinical evidence.
EEG remains essential for long-term seizure monitoring, highlighting the complementary roles of both techniques.