Quantitative evaluation for "invisible" brain dysfunction in patients with epilepsy using somatosensory evoked magnetic fields

2023 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 21K15674
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 52020:Neurology-related
• Research Institution: Tohoku University
• Principal Investigator: Ishida Makoto 東北大学, 工学研究科, 特任助教 (80880301)
• Project Period (FY): 2021-04-01 – 2024-03-31
• Keywords: 脳磁図 / てんかん / 体性感覚誘発磁界 / 睡眠

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Epilepsy is a network disease. However, it is not clear whether the excitation level from the epileptogenic network is abnormal. We evaluated somatosensory evoked magnetic fields (SEFs) separately averaged in the awake state and during sleep in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, and found that cortical excitability of somatosensory areas outside the epileptogenic network of TLE is abnormal only during wakefulness. In the present study, the latency of SEFs with strict separation of the awake and sleep stages was prolonged. Additionally, abnormal cortical excitability in patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) was revealed using SEFs. The evaluation of SEFs with strict separation of awake and sleep states may be useful for further clarification of the epileptogenic network.

Free Research Field

電磁気神経生理学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

覚醒時と睡眠時を厳密に分けた体性感覚誘発磁界を用いたてんかん患者の大脳皮質興奮性の検討は、我々が報告した新手法である。本手法を用いて、てんかん発作関連領域および関連領域外の皮質興奮性の評価を行うことにより、てんかんの病態の解明および治療の発展に貢献できる可能性がある。また、本手法はてんかん以外の神経疾患にも応用が可能であることから、大脳・視床間のネットワーク異常の定量評価法として、応用が期待される。