Can Brain Scans Aid Doctors in Epilepsy Surgery?

Can Mind Scans Help Medical doctors in Epilepsy Surgical procedure?

Imaging affords much less invasive approach to defend areas concerned in language and reminiscence, researchers say

WebMD Information from HealthDay

By Mary Elizabeth Dallas

HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 11, 2017 (HealthDay Information) -- MRI scans may assist medical doctors defend vital areas of the mind earlier than surgical procedure to deal with epilepsy, new tips counsel.

Scientists discovered the scans could also be a safer and fewer invasive different to a different extra generally used process, in line with the American Academy of Neurology (AAN).

When remedy would not successfully management epilepsy, surgical procedure could also be really useful. Medical doctors can take away the a part of the mind that triggers seizures or use sure procedures to regulate seizure exercise.

Earlier than surgical procedure, nonetheless, the mind should be "mapped" to make sure the areas accountable for language and reminiscence aren't broken in the course of the process, the research authors defined.

This may be finished in one of many following methods, the AAN says:

• Purposeful MRI (fMRI): This mind imaging process measures blood circulation, to detect mind exercise.
• The Wada take a look at: This invasive process, which can trigger some discomfort, includes injecting remedy into the primary artery within the neck -- the carotid artery -- to place one aspect of the mind to sleep.

"As a result of fMRI is turning into extra extensively obtainable, we needed to see the way it compares to the Wada take a look at," mentioned research creator Dr. Jerzy Szaflarski, of the College of Alabama at Birmingham.

"Whereas the dangers related to the Wada take a look at are uncommon, they are often severe, together with stroke and harm to the carotid artery," he mentioned in an AAN information launch.

The brand new tips, printed on-line Jan. 11 within the journal Neurology, are based mostly on a scientific evaluate of current proof, the research authors mentioned.

The rules' authors discovered some proof that fMRI could possibly be a substitute for the Wada take a look at for folks with particular sorts of epilepsy.

Nonetheless, the researchers famous that most of the research they analyzed had been small and most of the sufferers had comparable sorts of epilepsy, suggesting these suggestions could not apply to all folks with epilepsy.

"Bigger research must be performed to extend the standard of accessible proof," mentioned Szaflarski. "Plus, neither fMRI nor the Wada take a look at have standardized procedures. Medical doctors ought to rigorously advise sufferers of the dangers and advantages of fMRI versus the Wada take a look at."