StiMic: Electrical stimulation in epileptic patients; optimisation of electrical parameters with multiscale recordings

During SEEG, epileptic patients go through electrical brain stimulations. This routine procedure contributes to delineating epileptogenic networks, studying brain connectivity, and performing functional mapping. However, stimulation effects remain unpredictable, with false-negatives, false-positives, and a lack of reproductibility in responses induced. As of today, electrical parameters used remain empirical, and underlying neuronal mechanisms are not yet fully understood.
(i) We aim to optimise electrical parameters (frequency, duration, …) to improve clinical results and patients comfort. The StiMiC protocol includes additional EBS with frequencies based on physiological frequency bands prevailing in each lobe (e.g., theta in temporal regions), with the aim of better entraining local activity.
(ii) Stimulation sessions are recorded with micro-macro electrodes, allowing for better characterisation of stimulation effects on local and remote micro-circuits.