Seizure surgery is a potential treatment option for people that have focal seizures – seizures that are localized to one area of the brain. One of the goals of seizure surgery is to remove the injured or overactive area of the brain, which can help to manage or even cure seizures.
To improve seizure surgery outcomes, researchers are constantly looking for better ways to identify and visualize the brain injury, and then accurately remove it without affecting nearby brain regions. For instance, tractography – a specialized MRI technique – can be used to construct 3D models of neuron pathways in the brain. Tractography can be helpful in accurately detecting brain regions for removal, reducing deficits in brain function after surgery.
Drs. Ali Khan and Terry Peters plan to conduct a clinical trial – in collaboration with Synaptive Medical – using MRI tractography. Their trial will specifically look at targeted removal of the anterior temporal lobe (the side of the brain located slightly above your ears), while avoiding neuron pathways related to vision. With improvements in imaging, the hope is that fewer patients will have problems with their vision after surgery, and more patients could potentially regain their driving license.
