How to report neurotechnology and artificial intelligence studies in epilepsy: Peer-review-inspired recommendations

Area of Science:

• Epilepsy research
• Neurotechnology
• Artificial Intelligence (AI)

Background:

• Neurotechnology and AI offer advancements in epilepsy diagnosis, monitoring, and treatment.
• Inadequate reporting hinders the reproducibility and implementation of these innovations.
• Peer review often identifies issues in methodology, presentation, and results of these studies.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify common peer review concerns in neurotechnology and AI studies in epilepsy.
• To develop specific reporting recommendations for these research areas.
• To enhance the quality and clarity of epilepsy research involving advanced technologies.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative analysis of peer review comments from Epilepsia Open (September 2021-August 2023).
• Selection of manuscripts focusing on neurotechnology or AI applications in epilepsy.
• Classification of reviewer comments into themes and subthemes to identify recurrent concerns.

Main Results:

• 67 neurotechnology or AI studies were analyzed out of 329 submissions.
• Predominant study types included advanced neuroimaging, electroencephalography (EEG) analysis, and neuromodulation.
• Key peer review concerns focused on study methodology (37%), manuscript presentation (19%), and discussion (17%).

Conclusions:

• Developed reporting recommendations address critical peer review concerns.
• These recommendations aim to improve transparency, methodological rigor, and reproducibility.
• The guidelines complement existing standards, fostering robust advancements in epilepsy research.