Improvements in electrophysiological monitoring could help identify pathologic mechanisms of epilepsy and the development of targeted therapeutic approaches, researchers say.
“Electrophysiology is really the cornerstone of diagnostics and therapeutics for epilepsy, said Professor Jennifer Gelinas of Columbia University in New York, New York, USA. “If we could derive more usable information from this approach, this could actually benefit multiple aspects of patient care.”
Prof. Gelinas explained that, with electrophysiological monitoring, there is typically a trade-off between resolution and invasiveness. An EEG is noninvasive but reflects the activity of a large population of neurons. In contrast, single-unit devices can measure a single neuron, but requires penetrating brain tissue to place electrodes in close proximity to the target neurons.