Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) appears to be more versatile and have better procedural morbidity than subdural electrode (SDE) implantation for identifying the source of seizures in patients with intractable epilepsy, a US study suggests.

More patients had favourable epilepsy outcomes at one year if they underwent evaluation using SEEG (76%) compared with SDE (54.6%), according to the study published in JAMA Neurology.

Intracranial electroencephalographic recordings are used to localise the epileptogenic zone in 30-50% of epilepsy surgery candidates. Use of the techniques varies globally, with SDE implantation the principal approach in North America, the UK and Germany, whereas SEEG is favoured in France, Italy and Brazil.

The researchers from the University of Texas Health Science Center compared the relative efficacy, procedural morbidity and epilepsy outcomes following SEEG and SDE in 239 patients with medically intractable epilepsy treated by a single surgeon at one centre.