American Journal of Neuroradiology 2008;29:1649.
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American Journal of Neuroradiology
DOI 10.3174/ajnr.A1143
BRAIN
MR Imaging–Compatible Electroencephalography Electrode System for an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit
From the Departments of Clinical Neurological Sciences (S.M.M., J.R.I.), Medical Biophysics (S.M.M.), and Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine (S.M.M., D.H.L.), The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada; London Health Sciences Centre (S.M.M., J.R.I. D.H.L.), London, Ontario, Canada; and Epilepsy Clinic (L.M.T.), Mayo Clinic Hospital, Scottsdale, Ariz.
Please address correspondence to Seyed M. Mirsattari, MD, PhD, FRCP (C), B10-108, London Health Sciences Centre, 339 Windermere Rd, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5 Canada; e-mail: smirsat2{at}uwo.ca
SUMMARY: We studied the usefulness of an MR imaging–compatible electroencephalography (EEG) electrode system for continuous EEG recordings in our epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) by comparing 100 consecutive patients with MR imaging–compatible and MR imaging–incompatible EEG recording electrodes who underwent MR imaging between 3:00 PM and 7:00 AM. The MR imaging–compatible system captured seizures in 21/50 (42%) patients and clinically valuable new electrographic data in 13/50 (26%) patients during the study interval, whereas possible seizures were lost to recording in 19/50 (38%) patients in the MR imaging–incompatible system. EEG recording was comparable by both systems, but the nurses could disconnect and reconnect the patients to their electrode cables only in the MR imaging–compatible system during the study interval while the EEG technologists were off duty. This study shows that the MR imaging–compatible system could be used routinely for long-term monitoring of the patients in EMUs.