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EEG-epilepsy - Advanced EEG analysis techniques for epilepsy monitoring.

From 01-01-2005 to 31-12-2008

Description

The activity of the brain can be measured by means of the electrical activity of the brain cells. This electrical activity can be measured by electrodes on the scalp. The most common way of examining patients suffering from epilepsy is by means of ElectroEncephaloGraphy (EEG), i.e. the recording of the time-varying potential differences between the electrodes. As opposed to new functional imaging methods such as functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging (fMRI), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET), EEG allows a continuous measurement of the cortical function at a high time resolution and in a relatively cheap way. Epilepsy is a chronic neurological disease affecting the daily life of the patient. An epileptic seizure is characterized by the sudden occurrence of synchronous activity within relatively large neuronal networks that disturb the normal working of the brain. A seizure can originate in a small group of neurons that constitute the epileptogenic focus (i.e. partial seizures) or it can involve both hemispheres from the onset (i.e. generalized seizures). The unpredictability of the seizures strongly disturbs the life of a patient suffering from epilepsy leading to frustrations, unemployment,... Epilepsy affects about 1% of the world’s population. In 70% of the cases, the seizures can be controlled by antiepileptic drugs. The remaining 30% can be helped in various ways: surgical removal of the epileptogenic focus, implantation of a vagus nerve stimulator or a deep brain stimulator,... In all of the previously mentioned solutions the early detection of a seizure constitutes a critical part (injection of contrast agent prior to SPECT (in preparation to the resective surgery), electrical stimulation after early detection of an epileptic seizure (vagus nerve stimulator or deep brain stimulator)). The goal of this project is to develop advanced techniques for the early detection of epileptic seizures. Given the previously mentioned properties of EEG measurements, EEG analysis will be used to perform the latter task.