MR imaging-compatible electroencephalography electrode system for an epilepsy monitoring unit

We studied the usefulness of an MR imaging-compatible electroencephalography (EEG) electrode system for continuous EEG recordings in our epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) by comparing 100 consecutive patients with MR imaging-compatible and MR imaging-incompatible EEG recording electrodes who underwent MR imaging between 3:00 pm and 7:00 am. The MR imaging-compatible system captured seizures in 21/50 (42%) patients and clinically valuable new electrographic data in 13/50 (26%) patients during the study interval, whereas possible seizures were lost to recording in 19/50 (38%) patients in the MR imaging-incompatible system. EEG recording was comparable by both systems, but the nurses could disconnect and reconnect the patients to their electrode cables only in the MR imaging-compatible system during the study interval while the EEG technologists were off duty. This study shows that the MR imaging-compatible system could be used routinely for long-term monitoring of the patients in EMUs.