Epileptogenicity and Connectivity Analysis in Epilepsy Surgery

The success of epilepsy surgery hinges on characterizing the epileptogenic network, which comprises the seizure onset network and the propagation network within it. Typically, these zones are identified using anatomical and temporal diagnostic methods, primarily through visual analysis of stereo-electroencephalography (SEEG). This study introduces objective SEEG analysis methods as crucial complementary tools for network determination. It yields an Epileptogenicity Map and Index, providing electrophysiological information about the ictal onset zone (seizure onset), and connectivity maps and indices that illustrate the spatial distribution and direction of information flow in the electrical network. This study outlines the application of these adjunctive tools in patients undergoing epilepsy surgery. Specifically, five patients were analyzed to underscore the significance of these techniques in initially defining the stimulation zone and subsequently the surgical approach area. The objective is to assess the correlation between the results obtained from the maps and indices with the assessment of visual analysis of SEEG (AV).