Locations:
Search IconSearch
January 2, 2024/Neurosciences/Podcast

Harnessing the Power of Neuroengineering and AI to Improve Epilepsy Surgery (Podcast)

Data-driven methods may improve seizure localization and refine surgical decision-making

Approximately one-third of people with epilepsy have seizures refractory to medications. For those patients, surgery offers the best chance for decreased seizure burden and perhaps seizure freedom. However, no more than 1% to 2% of North American patients who would benefit from surgery are referred to a surgeon’s office.

Advertisement

Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Policy

Demitre Serletis, MD, PhD, an associate professor and neurosurgeon in Cleveland Clinic’s Epilepsy Center, is working to create a data-driven process — merging concepts from neuroengineering, artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning — to improve care and outcomes for these types of patients.

“This is the era of brain exploration,” says Dr. Serletis, who is also a researcher with the Department of Biomedical Engineering in Cleveland Clinic Lerner Research Institute. “We open the skull, we resect some of the brain tissue there and we sometimes place devices — all in a very coordinated, methodical way. We must now curate and learn from this experience. That will allow us to shape future directions in an informed fashion.”

In the latest episode of Cleveland Clinic’s Neuro Pathways podcast, Dr. Serletis discusses his research and the future of epilepsy surgery and treatment. He covers:

  • Current surgical modalities, including resection, ablation and implantable devices
  • The efficacy of contemporary epilepsy surgery, including opportunities and challenges
  • Application of neuroengineering and machine learning to study intracranial recordings of seizure activity from the brain
  • The potential for AI to predict who may benefit from epilepsy surgery and to help personalize decision-making

Click the podcast player above to listen to the 30-minute episode now, or read on for a short edited excerpt. Check out more Neuro Pathways episodes at clevelandclinic.org/neuropodcast or wherever you get your podcasts.

Advertisement

This activity has been approved for AMA PRA Category 1 Credit™ and ANCC contact hours. After listening to the podcast, you can claim your credit here.

Excerpt from the podcast

Dr. Serletis: We’d like to learn a bit more about the dynamical principles that lead to seizure start and spread. Can we predict it? As surgeons, we put 15 or 20 electrodes in the brain. There is risk with every single pass, and we’re never sure that we’re going to be right in the exact spot. So, can we extrapolate to better refine the analysis?

Ultimately, this will allow us to build a dynamical platform where we are no longer reviewing just clinical data but also the mathematical and dynamical aspects of this, to enable characterization of patients into profiles that allow us to predict who will benefit from what therapy. At the same time, this will also provide a better way to inform industry on how to design devices to best stimulate the brain.

Advertisement

Related Articles

portrait of dr. demitre serletis against decorative background
December 2, 2024/Neurosciences/Podcast
SEEG in Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation: Current and Future Roles (Podcast)

Insights on how stereoelectroencephalography is continuing to improve seizure localization

brain map showing planned electrode placement
November 25, 2024/Neurosciences/Epilepsy
What We’ve Learned From Our First 1,000 Cases of SEEG Evaluation

Progress in stereoelectroencephalography for epilepsy surgery evaluation since Cleveland Clinic performed the first U.S. case in 2009

scalp EEG electrodes on a woman's head
October 17, 2024/Neurosciences/Epilepsy
Machine Learning Algorithm May Enhance Accuracy of Predicting Seizure Control After Epilepsy Surgery

Model relies on analysis of peri-ictal scalp EEG data, promising wide applicability

Genetic sequencing
September 26, 2024/Cancer
AI Can Help Find Trials for Patients with Rare Cancers

Study demonstrates potential for improving access

AI in a lightbulb
Consider This Comprehensive Approach for Evaluating AI

Cleveland Clinic uses data to drive its AI implementation strategy

gut-brain axis
Assessing Alzheimer’s Disease Drug Targets Along the Gut-Brain Axis

Pairing machine learning with multi-omics revealed potential therapeutic targets

Photo of Tom Mihaljevic, MD, and Gary Cohn
A Fireside Chat about Digital Technology in Healthcare

Cleveland Clinic and IBM leaders share insights, concerns, optimism about impacts

neurosurgeon performing minimally invasive spine operation
Top Takeaways From the 2024 AANS Annual Meeting

Scientific program chair reflects on what may resonate longest from this year’s neurosurgery conference

Ad