The Advancements in the Role of Magnetic Resonance Imaging in Deep Brain Stimulations Procedures for the Treatment of Epilepsy

João Guilherme Santos Garrido1, Rafael Abib Fernandes Barros2, Emily Calmon Londero1, Luana Brandão de Sales Reis1, Roberta Veiga Pestana Visco Costa2; Ana Paula Rodrigues dos Santos1; Renato Teixeira Conceição Júnior1.

1 Medical students at Escola Bahiana de Medicina e Saúde Pública (EBMSP); 2 Medical students at Univesidade Salvador (UNIFACS)

OBJECTIVE: Evaluate the role of magnetic resonance imaging, when used in “deep brain stimulation” (DBS) procedures for the treatment of epilepsy.

METHODS: A literature review was done, the papers selected had the descriptors “neuroimaging”, “epilepsy”, “DBS” and “MRI”. The search for studies was done on PubMed and the descriptors used were found on Decs. Only works done in 2007 or after were included.

RESULTS: Within 13 papers that meet the research criteria, only 5 of those address MRI as to clarify an increase in the success rates or the improvement of the DBS procedures with its application. Two comparative papers show a decrease from 50 to 90% in the occurrence of epilepsy episodes in the majority of patients, although a minority of patients suffered lesions without significant neurological déficits. A case report showed the importance of MRI to locate structures during the DBS procedures, by localizing the mammillothalamic tract.

CONCLUSIONS: The researched papers show favorable data towards the use of magnetic resonance imaging in patients with indication for DBS. However, those papers have a small sample size, therefore more studies on the subject are necessary.

KEYWORDS: epilepsy; DBS; MRI; neuroimaging.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS: None

FUNDING/FINANCIAL SUPPORT: None

DOI: https://doi.org/10.21801/ppcrj.2020.S1.24