STEREO-ELECTROENCEPHALOGRAPHY METHODOLOGY - ADVANTAGES AND LIMITS

Since January 1990, 70 patients with medically intractable partial epi lepsy underwent a stereo-EEG investigation in our center. We first des cribed technical requirements, and gave an overview of the variety of the explored cerebral regions and implantation patterns realized, poin ting out the low rate of morbidity (1.4%). The three-dimensional epile ptogenic zone thus defined led to a tailored individualized surgical e xcision in 60 patients, while 9 are waiting for surgery and the remain ing 1 has been excluded (1.4%). Conceptual and technical aspects of th e stereo-EEG methodology were discussed in order to underline its pecu liarities in the field of ''depth recordings'', and more generally amo ng the broader group of ''invasive'' procedures.