Thalamic stereoelectroencephalography in pediatric patients: Clinical practice and considerations

Abstract

Objective

Neuromodulation of cortical and subcortical structures is integral to pediatric epilepsy surgery. Subcortical and thalamic targets for neuromodulation continue to evolve. This paper reports the practical considerations and outcomes of pediatric thalamic stereoelectroencephalography (sEEG) at a single institution.

Methods

A retrospective study involved 16 patients with drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent sEEG with thalamic nuclei sampling at Children’s National Hospital (CNH) from July 2023 to Aug 2024. Electrodes targeted thalamic nuclei, including the anterior nucleus of thalamus (ANT), centromedian (CM), and/or pulvinar (PUL). Two pediatric epileptologists reviewed sEEG recordings at enhanced sensitivity to identify thalamic spread patterns. The definitive procedure after sEEG and the outcomes were reported for those who proceeded to surgery with at least six months of follow-up.

Results

Sixteen subjects underwent sEEG with thalamic nuclei sampling. Thirty-five thalamic electrodes were implanted, and four patients had multisite thalamic nuclei sampling. Most seizures reviewed (84 %) had early thalamic involvement (<500 ms from seizure onset). A variety of early thalamic spread patterns were detected: spike wave, 30 % (n = 15/50); rhythmic slowing, 20 % (n = 10/50); and low voltage fast activity (LVFA), 16 % (n = 8/50). Among the fifteen patients exhibiting thalamic involvement, nine (60 %) demonstrated congruent ictal patterns originating from the neocortex, whereas 40 % exhibited discordant patterns. Furthermore, 60 % of patients (n = 9) exhibited consistent thalamic spread patterns, whereas 40 % demonstrated variable patterns across different nuclei within the same seizure or within the same nucleus across seizures. Eleven patients underwent surgery after the sEEG, and seizure outcomes of seven patients with a mean follow-up period of 7.9 months were reported. Only one patient experienced transient hemiparesis from an anterior insular hemorrhage.

Conclusion

Thalamic sEEG may serve as a valuable tool for selected patients with complex or extensive epileptic networks and may aid in the identification of neuromodulation targets when resection or ablation is not feasible.