Simultaneous scalp EEG improves seizure lateralization during unilateral intracranial EEG evaluation in temporal lobe...

To determine if simultaneous bilateral scalp EEG (scEEG) can accurately detect a contralateral seizure onset in patients with unilateral intracranial EEG (IEEG) implantation.

We evaluated 39 seizures from 9 patients with bitemporal epilepsy who underwent simultaneous scEEG and IEEG (SSIEEG). To simulate conditions of unilateral IEEG implantation with a missed contralateral seizure onset, we analyzed the IEEG recording contralateral to the seizure onset (CL- IEEG), in conjunction with simultaneous scEEG. The following criteria were evaluated between scEEG and CL- IEEG (1) latency: the time to onset of EEG seizure (2) location: concordance of ictal onset zones and (3) pattern: congruence of EEG morphology and frequency.

SSIEEG correctly lateralized 36/39 (92.3%) seizures compared to 13/39 (33.3%) seizures using CL- IEEG alone (OR = 24.0, p < 0.01), 33 (84.6%) seizures using scEEG alone (OR = 2.2, p = 0.29) and 26 (66.9%) seizures using time of clinical onset alone (OR = 6.0, p = 0.01). For the three criteria evaluated, (1) 22/39 (56.4%) seizures had an earlier onset on the scEEG, compared to CL- IEEG; (2) lack of congruence of location of seizure onset was noted in 33/39 (84.6%) of the seizures; and (3) 22/39 (56.4%) seizures did not have a congruent ictal pattern.

The chronological, topographic and morphologic features of SSIEEG can accurately detect the hemisphere of seizure onset in most cases with unilateral IEEG implantation. SSIEEG is significantly better than, IEEG, scEEG or clinical onset alone in this scenario. We propose that SSIEEG should be considered in all cases of intractable focal epilepsy undergoing unilateral IEEG evaluation.