Viability of Preictal High-Frequency Oscillation Rates as a Biomarker for Seizure Prediction.

There is an ongoing search for definitive and reliable biomarkers to forecast or predict imminent seizure onset, but to date most research has been limited to EEG with sampling rates <1,000 Hz. High-frequency oscillations (HFOs) have gained acceptance as an indicator of epileptic tissue, but few have investigated the temporal properties of HFOs or their potential role as a predictor in seizure prediction. Here we evaluate time-varying trends in preictal HFO rates as a potential biomarker of seizure prediction.

Preictal variability of high-frequency oscillation rates in refractory epilepsy.

Objective: High-frequency oscillations (HFOs) have shown promising utility in the spatial localization of the seizure onset zone for patients with focal refractory epilepsy. Comparatively few studies have addressed potential temporal variations in HFOs, or their role in the preictal period. Here, we introduce a novel evaluation of the instantaneous HFO rate through interictal and peri-ictal epochs to assess their usefulness in identifying imminent seizure onset.

A taxonomy of seizure dynamotypes.

Seizures are a disruption of normal brain activity present across a vast range of species and conditions. We introduce an organizing principle that leads to the first objective Taxonomy of Seizure Dynamics (TSD) based on bifurcation theory. The 'dynamotype' of a seizure is the dynamic composition that defines its observable characteristics, including how it starts, evolves and ends.