Stereo-electroencephalography methodology: advantages and limits

Since January 1990, 70 patients with medically intractable partial epilepsy underwent a stereo-EEG investigation in our center. We first described technical requirements, and gave an overview of the variety of the explored cerebral regions and implantation patterns realized, pointing out the low rate of morbidity (1.4%). The three-dimensional epileptogenic zone thus defined led to a tailored individualized surgical excision in 60 patients, while 9 are waiting for surgery and the remaining 1 has been excluded (1.4%). Conceptual and technical aspects of the stereo-EEG methodology were discussed in order to underline its peculiarities in the field of "depth recordings", and more generally among the broader group of "invasive" procedures.