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AJNR - American Journal of Neuroradiology

Published ahead of print on June 19, 2008
doi: 10.3174/ajnr.A1143

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American Journal of Neuroradiology 29:1649-1651, October 2008
© 2008 American Society of Neuroradiology

Technical Note
BRAIN

MR Imaging–Compatible Electroencephalography Electrode System for an Epilepsy Monitoring Unit

S.M. Mirsattari^a,b,c,d, L.M. Tapsell^e, J.R. Ives^a,d and D.H. Lee^c,d

^a Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
^b Department of Medical Biophysics, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
^c Department of Diagnostic Radiology and Nuclear Medicine, The University of Western Ontario, London, Ontario, Canada
^d London Health Sciences Centre, London, Ontario, Canada
^e Epilepsy Clinic, Mayo Clinic Hospital, Scottsdale, Ariz

Please address correspondence to Seyed M. Mirsattari, MD, PhD, FRCP (C), B10-108, London Health Sciences Centre, 339 Windermere Rd, London, Ontario, N6A 5A5 Canada; e-mail: smirsat2{at}uwo.ca

SUMMARY: We studied the usefulness of an MR imaging–compatible electroencephalography (EEG) electrode system for continuous EEG recordings in our epilepsy monitoring unit (EMU) by comparing 100 consecutive patients with MR imaging–compatible and MR imaging–incompatible EEG recording electrodes who underwent MR imaging between 3:00 PM and 7:00 AM. The MR imaging–compatible system captured seizures in 21/50 (42%) patients and clinically valuable new electrographic data in 13/50 (26%) patients during the study interval, whereas possible seizures were lost to recording in 19/50 (38%) patients in the MR imaging–incompatible system. EEG recording was comparable by both systems, but the nurses could disconnect and reconnect the patients to their electrode cables only in the MR imaging–compatible system during the study interval while the EEG technologists were off duty. This study shows that the MR imaging–compatible system could be used routinely for long-term monitoring of the patients in EMUs.