Analysis of structural MRI data for the localisation of focal cortical dysplasia in epilepsy

Abstract

Focal Cortical Dysplasia (FCD) is an anatomic malformation of the cortex that gives rise to epilepsy and in most cases can be treated surgically. The precise pre-surgical localisation of FCD is pivotal for a successful intervention that will lead to seizure freedom. The most useful brain imaging method is MRI, but the specificity of its localisation remains a challenging task. In this work multiple features intended to represent intensity, texture and form are extracted from T1 -weighted and FLAIR images of normal and patient data. A final probability map is performed to highlight FCD lesion(s). The data from 11 most recently visited patients in our clinic and 20 controls have been acquired and examined. In all patient cases the probability map highlights the lesions with high accuracy and improved compared to other methods. © Springer-Verlag 2013.