Abstract：
BACKGROUND: High-density EEG (hdEEG) is a validated tool in presurgical evaluation of people with epilepsy. The aim of this national survey is to estimate diffusion and knowledge of hdEEG to develop a network among Italian epilepsy centers.
METHODS: A survey of 16 items (and 15 additional items) was distributed nationwide by email to all members of the Italian League Against Epilepsy and the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: A total of 104 respondents were collected from 85 centers, 82% from the Centre-North of Italy; 27% of the respondents had a hdEEG. The main applications were for epileptogenic focus characterization in the pre-surgical evaluation (35%), biomarker research (35%) and scientific activity (30%). The greatest obstacles to hdEEG were economic resources (35%), acquisition of dedicated personnel (30%) and finding expertise (17%). Dissemination was limited by difficulties in finding expertise and dedicated personnel (74%) more than buying devices (9%); 43% of the respondents have already published hdEEG data, and 91% of centers were available to participate in multicenter hdEEG studies, helping in both pre-processing and analysis. Eighty-nine percent of respondents would be interested in referring patients to centers with established experience for clinical and research purposes.
CONCLUSIONS: In Italy, hdEEG is mainly used in third-level epilepsy centers for research and clinical purposes. HdEEG diffusion is limited not only by costs but also by lack of trained personnel. Italian centers demonstrated a high interest in educational initiatives on hdEEG as well as in clinical and research collaborations.
METHODS: A survey of 16 items (and 15 additional items) was distributed nationwide by email to all members of the Italian League Against Epilepsy and the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology. The data obtained were analyzed using descriptive statistics.
RESULTS: A total of 104 respondents were collected from 85 centers, 82% from the Centre-North of Italy; 27% of the respondents had a hdEEG. The main applications were for epileptogenic focus characterization in the pre-surgical evaluation (35%), biomarker research (35%) and scientific activity (30%). The greatest obstacles to hdEEG were economic resources (35%), acquisition of dedicated personnel (30%) and finding expertise (17%). Dissemination was limited by difficulties in finding expertise and dedicated personnel (74%) more than buying devices (9%); 43% of the respondents have already published hdEEG data, and 91% of centers were available to participate in multicenter hdEEG studies, helping in both pre-processing and analysis. Eighty-nine percent of respondents would be interested in referring patients to centers with established experience for clinical and research purposes.
CONCLUSIONS: In Italy, hdEEG is mainly used in third-level epilepsy centers for research and clinical purposes. HdEEG diffusion is limited not only by costs but also by lack of trained personnel. Italian centers demonstrated a high interest in educational initiatives on hdEEG as well as in clinical and research collaborations.
摘要：
背景：高密度脑电图（hdEEG）是对癫痫患者进行术前评估的一种有效工具。这项全国调查的目的是评估hdEEG的扩散和知识，以在意大利癫痫中心之间建立网络。
方法：在全国范围内通过电子邮件向意大利抗癫痫联盟和意大利临床神经生理学学会的所有成员分发了16个项目（和15个其他项目）的调查。使用描述性统计分析获得的数据。
结果：共收集了来自85个中心的104名受访者，82%来自意大利中北部；27%的受访者有hdEEG。主要应用于术前评估中的癫痫灶定性（35％），生物标志物研究(35%)和科学活动(30%)。hdEEG的最大障碍是经济资源(35%)，采购专门人员（30%）和寻找专业知识（17%）。传播受到难以找到专业知识和专门人员（74％）的限制，而不是购买设备（9％）;43％的受访者已经发布了hdEEG数据，91%的中心可参与多中心hdEEG研究，有助于预处理和分析。百分之八十九的受访者有兴趣将患者推荐给具有临床和研究经验的中心。
结论：在意大利，hdEEG主要用于三级癫痫中心的研究和临床目的。HdEEG扩散不仅受到成本的限制，而且还受到缺乏训练有素人员的限制。意大利中心对hdEEG的教育计划以及临床和研究合作表现出了很高的兴趣。
方法：在全国范围内通过电子邮件向意大利抗癫痫联盟和意大利临床神经生理学学会的所有成员分发了16个项目（和15个其他项目）的调查。使用描述性统计分析获得的数据。
结果：共收集了来自85个中心的104名受访者，82%来自意大利中北部；27%的受访者有hdEEG。主要应用于术前评估中的癫痫灶定性（35％），生物标志物研究(35%)和科学活动(30%)。hdEEG的最大障碍是经济资源(35%)，采购专门人员（30%）和寻找专业知识（17%）。传播受到难以找到专业知识和专门人员（74％）的限制，而不是购买设备（9％）;43％的受访者已经发布了hdEEG数据，91%的中心可参与多中心hdEEG研究，有助于预处理和分析。百分之八十九的受访者有兴趣将患者推荐给具有临床和研究经验的中心。
结论：在意大利，hdEEG主要用于三级癫痫中心的研究和临床目的。HdEEG扩散不仅受到成本的限制，而且还受到缺乏训练有素人员的限制。意大利中心对hdEEG的教育计划以及临床和研究合作表现出了很高的兴趣。
