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Updated: Apr 5, 2026

A Multimodal Imaging- and Stimulation-based Method of Evaluating Connectivity-related Brain Excitability in Patients with Epilepsy
Published on: November 13, 2016
Nuclear Imaging of Epilepsy
Brian J Burkett1, Benjamin H Brinkmann2, Derek R Johnson1
1Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA; Division of Neuroradiology, Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, USA.
Abstract:
For epilepsy, brain single-photon emission computed tomography and PET are noninvasive nuclear medicine studies that can guide complex management decisions and surgical intervention. Due to seizure-related changes in cerebral blood flow and glucose utilization during the ictal and interictal period, these nuclear medicine studies can localize epileptogenic regions and assess broad functional changes in epilepsy. Advanced quantitative and computational techniques can increase the yield of these studies and assist with interpretation. Future developments in PET radiopharmaceuticals targeted inflammation, synaptic density, or various neurotransmitter systems may provide additional diagnostic capabilities for epilepsy.
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