Applications of neural network analyses to in vivo H-1 magnetic resonance spectroscopy of epilepsy patients

A total of 67 in vivo water-suppressed proton magnetic resonance spectra of the temporal lobes were recorded from 15 patients with long standing tempo ral lobe epilepsy and 13 healthy volunteers. Conventional data analysis ind icated slightly lower N-acetyl aspartate levels in epileptic patients compa red with controls. For further analysis of data, a spectral region (4.0-1.5 ppm) was used as input for artificial neural network analysis. Correct cla ssification of spectra was obtained in 66 out of 67 cases, disregarding fro m which side of the brain the spectra were recorded. The ability of the tra ined network to recognize spectra recorded both contalaterally and ipsilate rally to the epileptic focus strongly indicates bilateral metabolic changes . Artificial neural networks could also be trained to recognize whether the spectra were recorded from the ipsilateral or contralateral side of the ep ileptic focus, indicating that neural network analysis of in vivo proton MR spectra can be used as an additional tool for pre-surgical lateralization of seizure foci. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.