Detection of Spikes With Defined Parameters in the ECoG Signal

Patients undergoing presurgical evaluation for resective epilepsy surgery require the localization of the epileptogenic zone. The detection and analysis of interictal and ictal epileptiform spikes are of major importance for identifying this area. The “irritative zone” of the cortex with interictal spikes is usually revealed intraoperatively during acute electrocorticography (ECoG). Since ECoG recordings cannot be completely visually reviewed in a reasonable amount of time, computer algorithms for the automatic detection of seizures and spikes were developed. We proposed the spike detection algorithm based on the definition of the physical properties of the sought spikes (duration and amplitude). The parameters are easily interpreted by neurophysiologists. The detection sensitivity was 93%, and the precision was 99%. In addition, based on the number of spikes detected on individual electrodes, it is possible to draw the “frequency of spike occurrence” map. The algorithm proved to be so effective in analyzing ECoG records, as it is allowed to be used in practice.