Sphenoidal electrode insertion under local analgesia in children.

The indications for method and the results of sphenoidal electrode insertion under local analgesia are evaluated in children. This technique makes it possible to study the hippocampal area, which cannot be studied by other extracranial electrodes. It also localizes in a temporal lobe some complex seizures without electrical events on surface recordings, complex seizures with bilateral temporal spikes or a frontotemporal focus of spikes, as well as those with a temporal focus with bilateral synchronous spikes in standard EEG. Therefore, sphenoidal electrodes inserted without heavy general analgesia enable temporal seizures to be identified and localized, leading to more specific neuroradiological and neurophysiological explorations and helping in this way to select possible patients for epileptic surgery.