Semiological approach to epilepsy surgery

Abstract

Selection of epilepsy surgery candidates is driven mainly by electroclinical diagnosis. While improved structural and functional neuroimaging have enhanced the detection of epileptogenic lesions and the presurgical mapping of functionally eloquent cortices, understanding semiology may help to lateralize or even localize the epileptogenic zone, even in cases with structural abnormalities or inconclusive scalp EEG recordings. This presentation will present important, electroclinically or surgically validated semiological features to aid diagnosis and surgical planning. The most important semiological features to be covered are epileptic auras, tonic or clonic motor manifestations of focal dyscognitive and secondary generalized tonic–clonic seizures, and ictal automatisms. Case presentations will be presented for the audience for comment.