How we approach this

Our goal is to provide an independent, and data-informed approach to informing patients and their neurological treatment team for complex cases of focal epilepsy.

We liaise with the patient’s neurologist about their situation and determine whether they would be a suitable candidate for an investigation using high-density EEG and MEG. Over the course of the patient’s appointment with us, we provide a detailed clinical consultation to uncover relevant details from their history of seizures and understand what they experience during these events. We then apply a specialised MEG-compatible EEG cap with 134 electrodes to simultaneously record electrical brain wave activity with correlated tiny magnetic fields induced by abnormal areas of brain while they are seated inside the MEG scanner. We typically capture up to one hour of recordings to explore for evidence of where the abnormal activity may be arising from.

After the study acquisition, our expert neurologist carefully inspects the data to establish evidence of epileptic discharges or abnormal activity. We combine information from other medical imaging to create detailed models of the individual’s head, and use this to calculate where in the brain the abnormal activity arises. Our use of combined high density EEG and MEG allows us to better explore subtle differences in timing to more accurately assess where a seizure is likely to be originating from. The focus on the when, not only where provides a more complete picture of the generator of seizures. This independent evidence can then be integrated by the patient’s treatment team in guiding their future management.

Image below demonstrates our independent and combined assessment of the EEG and MEG when assessing when and where abnormal activity arises.