Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging plays an important role in the evaluation of epilepsy. Human epilepsy is associated with many types of conditions affecting the brain. Thus, the study of epilepsy with MR runs the gamut of cerebral disorders. These include tumors, vascular malformations, hippocampal sclerosis, migration disorders, perinatal insults, infections, trauma, and stroke. MR imaging is particularly important for the patient with medically intractable epilepsy (approximately 30% of epileptics) who may be a candidate for surgical control of their epilepsy, because MR usually detects the responsible lesion and guides decision making and surgical management. Current epilepsy research includes the investigation of MR imaging in the surgical epilepsy group.
Specialized Terms: Imaging of epilepsy, Cortical dysplasias, Temporal lobe anatomy, and Anatomic variants
My research has studied MR Imaging of patients with seizures, including imaging of surgical epilepsy group, normal brain variations, temporal lobe embryology and anatomy, post-operative brain changes, hippocampal sclerosis, focal cortical dysplasia, and brain malformations. Current research investigates whether machine learning techniques will improve imaging detection of brain disorders underlying epilepsy.
Other research investigations involve MR imaging of pituitary anomalies and disorders.
I have collaborated with many groups investigating the hippocampus or temporal lobe, which included publications on changes in these anatomy sites with PTSD, child abuse, and functional MRI language activation.
Encephalocele; Epilepsy; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Neoplasms by Site; Neurosurgery; Pituitary Diseases; Radiology; Seizures; Stroke; Vascular Malformations