Neuroimaging

Neuroimaging is essential to epilepsy research and clinical care, enabling the detection of structural and functional abnormalities that underlie seizure disorders. Our group utilizes advanced imaging methodologies to improve diagnosis, uncover disease mechanisms, and guide therapeutic strategies.

Advanced Neuroimaging Techniques

  • Hippocampal Imaging: We apply high-resolution MRI and advanced segmentation methods to study hippocampal morphology and pathology, with a focus on identifying subtle alterations associated with temporal lobe epilepsy.
  • Microstructural MRI: Diffusion-based and quantitative imaging techniques are used to probe tissue microstructure, enabling the detection of abnormalities not visible on conventional MRI.
  • Naturalistic Stimuli fMRI: Functional MRI using real-world stimuli, such as movie viewing, is employed to investigate cognitive and network-level disruptions in people with epilepsy.
  • Imaging-Histology Correlation: In collaborative studies combining histology and recordings from surgically-resected tissue and in vivo MRI, we validate imaging biomarkers and gain insight into the cellular and circuit-level basis of epileptogenic lesions.
  • Ultra-High Field MRI: The use of 7T MRI enables unprecedented resolution for identifying focal cortical dysplasia, microlesions, and detailed laminar structures relevant to seizure localization.

Integration of the WERG with University Hospital and London Health Sciences Centre (LHSC)

Our close ties with the Department of Medical Imaging and the Robarts Research Institute provide access to world-class imaging infrastructure and expertise. The Centre for Functional and Metabolic Mapping at Robarts Research Institute hosts 3T and 7T scanners that are regularly used for clinical epilepsy research, as well as small-bore 9.4T and 15.2T magnets that are used for tissue from epilepsy surgery.

Research Objectives

Our neuroimaging research aims to:

  • Identify Epileptogenic Substrates: Detect subtle structural and microstructural abnormalities in both lesional and non-lesional epilepsy.
  • Characterize Brain Networks: Use task-free and task-based fMRI to explore network disruptions and their relationship to cognitive dysfunction and seizure propagation.
  • Support Precision Medicine: Develop personalized imaging biomarkers to inform surgical candidacy, target selection, and outcome prediction.

By advancing imaging science and integrating it with multidisciplinary care, we aim to transform how epilepsy is diagnosed, understood, and treated.