BACKGROUND: Epilepsy, a globally prevalent neurological condition, presents distinct challenges in management, particularly for focal-onset types. This study aimed at addressing the current challenges and perspectives in focal epilepsy management, with focus on the Italian reality.
METHODS: Using the Delphi methodology, this research collected and analyzed the level of consensus of a panel of Italian epilepsy experts on key aspects of focal epilepsy care. Areas of focus included patient flow, treatment pathways, controlled versus uncontrolled epilepsy, follow-up protocols, and the relevance of patient-reported outcomes (PROs). This method allowed for a comprehensive assessment of consensus and divergences in clinical opinions and practices.
RESULTS: The study achieved consensus on 23 out of 26 statements, with three items failing to reach a consensus. There was strong agreement on the importance of timely intervention, individualized treatment plans, regular follow-ups at Epilepsy Centers, and the role of PROs in clinical practice. In cases of uncontrolled focal epilepsy, there was a clear inclination to pursue alternative treatment options following the failure of two previous therapies. Divergent views were evident on the inclusion of epilepsy surgery in treatment for uncontrolled epilepsy and the routine necessity of EEG evaluations in follow-ups. Other key findings included concerns about the lack of pediatric-specific research limiting current therapeutic options in this patient population, insufficient attention to the transition from pediatric to adult care, and need for improved communication. The results highlighted the complexities in managing epilepsy, with broad consensus on patient care aspects, yet notable divergences in specific treatment and management approaches.
CONCLUSIONS: The study offered valuable insights into the current state and complexities of managing focal-onset epilepsy. It highlighted many deficiencies in the therapeutic pathway of focal-onset epilepsy in the Italian reality, while it also underscored the importance of patient-centric care, the necessity of early and appropriate intervention, and individualized treatment approaches. The findings also called for continued research, policy development, and healthcare system improvements to enhance epilepsy management, highlighting the ongoing need for tailored healthcare solutions in this evolving field.

Epilepsy is one of the most frequent neurological conditions with an estimated prevalence of more than 50 million people worldwide and an annual incidence of two million. Although pharmacotherapy with anti-seizure medication (ASM) is the treatment of choice, ~30% of patients with epilepsy do not respond to ASM and become drug resistant. Focal epilepsy is the most frequent form of epilepsy. In patients with drug-resistant focal epilepsy, epilepsy surgery is a treatment option depending on the localisation of the seizure focus for seizure relief or seizure freedom with consecutive improvement in quality of life. Beside examinations such as scalp video/electroencephalography (EEG) telemetry, structural, and functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which are primary standard tools for the diagnostic work-up and therapy management of epilepsy patients, molecular neuroimaging using different radiopharmaceuticals with single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) influences and impacts on therapy decisions. To date, there are no literature-based praxis recommendations for the use of Nuclear Medicine (NM) imaging procedures in epilepsy. The aims of these guidelines are to assist in understanding the role and challenges of radiotracer imaging for epilepsy; to provide practical information for performing different molecular imaging procedures for epilepsy; and to provide an algorithm for selecting the most appropriate imaging procedures in specific clinical situations based on current literature. These guidelines are written and authorized by the European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM) to promote optimal epilepsy imaging, especially in the presurgical setting in children, adolescents, and adults with focal epilepsy. They will assist NM healthcare professionals and also specialists such as Neurologists, Neurophysiologists, Neurosurgeons, Psychiatrists, Psychologists, and others involved in epilepsy management in the detection and interpretation of epileptic seizure onset zone (SOZ) for further treatment decision. The information provided should be applied according to local laws and regulations as well as the availability of various radiopharmaceuticals and imaging modalities.

Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) was designed and developed in the 1960s in France by J. Talairach and J. Bancaud. It is an invasive method of exploration for drug-resistant focal epilepsies, offering the advantage of a tridimensional and temporally precise study of the epileptic discharge. It allows anatomo-electrical correlations and tailored surgeries. Whereas this method has been used for decades by experts in a limited number of European centers, the last ten years have seen increasing worldwide spread of its use. Moreover in current practice, SEEG is not only a diagnostic tool but also offers a therapeutic option, i.e., thermocoagulation. In order to propose formal guidelines for best clinical practice in SEEG, a working party was formed, composed of experts from every French centre with a large SEEG experience (those performing more than 10 SEEG per year over at least a 5 year period). This group formulated recommendations, which were graded by all participants according to established methodology. The first part of this article summarizes these within the following topics: indications and limits of SEEG; planning and management of SEEG; surgical technique; electrophysiological technical procedures; interpretation of SEEG recordings; and SEEG-guided radio frequency thermocoagulation. In the second part, those different aspects are discussed in more detail by subgroups of experts, based on existing literature and their own experience. The aim of this work is to present a consensual French approach to SEEG, which could be used as a basic document for centers using this method, particularly those who are beginning SEEG practice. These guidelines are supported by the French Clinical Neurophysiology Society and the French chapter of the International League Against Epilepsy.