The Fingerprint of Scalp-EEG in Drug-Resistant Frontal Lobe Epilepsies.

Purpose: Scalp-EEG incompletely covers the frontal lobe cortex. Underrepresentation of frontobasal or frontomesial structures, fast ictal spreading, and false lateralization impede scalp-EEG interpretation. Hence, we investigated the significance of scalp-EEG in the presurgical workup of frontal lobe epilepsy.

Methods: Using descriptive statistical methods and Pearson chi-squared test for group comparisons, we retrospectively investigated postsurgical outcome, interictal epileptiform discharges (iiEDs), and electrographic seizure patterns on scalp-EEG in 81 consecutive patients undergoing resective epilepsy surgery within the margins of the frontal lobe.

Results: Postoperatively, patients with frontopolar iiEDs ( n = 7) or concordant frontopolar iiED focus and seizure-onset ( n = 2) were seizure free ( n = 7/7, Engel Ia). MRI-positive patients with frontopolar iiEDs or frontopolar seizure-onset ( n = 1/8 Engel Id, n = 7/8 Engel Ia) underwent surgery without stereo-EEG. Thirteen of 16 patients with frontolateral ( n = 8/10, Engel Ia), or left frontobasal ( n = 5/6, Engel Ia) seizure-onset undergoing further stereo-EEG, were seizure-free postoperatively. Seizure-onset prevalent over one electrode ( n = 37/44 Engel I, p = 0.02), fast activity (FA)/flattening at seizure-onset ( n = 29/33 Engel I, p = 0.02), FA/flattening during the seizure ( n = 38/46 Engel I, p = 0.05), or focal rhythmic sharp-/spike-/polyspike-and-slow waves during the seizure ( n = 24/31, Engel Ia, p = 0.05) were favorable prognostic markers. Interictal polyspike waves ( p = 0.006 for Engel Ia) and interictal paroxysmal FA ( p = 0.02 for Engel I) were unfavorable prognostic markers.

Conclusions: Frontopolar scalp-EEG findings serve as biomarkers for predicting favorable surgical outcome in lesional frontal lobe epilepsy. Consequently, careful analysis of scalp-EEG assists in bypassing stereo-EEG in these patients.