Objective: One of the greatest challenges of achieving successful surgical outcomes in patients with epilepsy is the ability to properly localize the seizure onset zone (SOZ). Many techniques exist for localizing the SOZ, including intracranial electroencephalography, magnetoencephalography, and stereoelectroencephalography. Recently, resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in conjunction with independent component analysis (ICA) has been utilized for presurgical planning of SOZ resection, with varying results. In this meta-analysis, we analyze the current role of rs-fMRI in identifying the SOZ for presurgical planning for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. Specifically, we seek to demonstrate its current effectiveness compared to other methods of SOZ localization. Methods: A literature review was conducted using the PubMed, MEDLINE, and Embase databases up to May of 2020. A total of 253 articles were screened, and seven studies were chosen for analysis. Each study was analyzed for SOZ localization by ground truth, SOZ localization by rs-fMRI with ICA, principal component analysis, or intrinsic connectivity contrast, and outcomes of surgery. A meta-analysis was performed to analyze how ground truth compares to rs-fMRI in SOZ localization. Results: The odds ratio comparing ground truth to rs-fMRI was 2.63 (95% confidence interval = 0.66-10.56). Average concordance of rs-fMRI SOZ localization compared with ground truth localization across studies was 71.3%. Significance: In the hunt for less invasive presurgical planning for epilepsy surgery, rs-fMRI with ICA provides a promising avenue for future standard practice. Our preliminary results show no significant difference in surgical outcomes between traditional standards of SOZ localization and rs-fMRI with ICA. We believe that rs-fMRI could be a step forward in this search. Further investigation comparing rs-fMRI to traditional methods of SOZ localization should be conducted, with the hope of moving toward relying solely on noninvasive screening methods.

Background: There are few treatments with limited efficacy for patients with disorders of consciousness (DoC), such as minimally conscious and persistent vegetative state (MCS and PVS).Objective: In this meta-analysis of individual patient data (IPD), we examine studies utilizing transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) as a treatment in DoC to determine patient and protocol-specific factors associated with improved outcomes.Methods: We conducted a systematic review of PubMed, Ovid Medline, and Clinicaltrials.gov through April 2020 using the following terms: “minimally conscious state,” or “persistent vegetative state,” or “unresponsive wakefulness syndrome,” or “disorders of consciousness” and “transcranial magnetic stimulation.” Studies utilizing TMS as an intervention and reporting individual pre- and post-TMS Coma Recovery Scale-Revised (CRS-R) scores and subscores were included. Studies utilizing diagnostic TMS were excluded. We performed a meta-analysis at two time points to generate a pooled estimate for absolute change in CRS-R Index, and performed a second meta-analysis to determine the treatment effect of TMS using data from sham-controlled crossover studies. A linear regression model was also created using significant predictors of absolute CRS-R index change.Results: The search yielded 118 papers, of which 10 papers with 90 patients were included. Patients demonstrated a mean pooled absolute change in CRS-R Index of 2.74 (95% CI, 0.62–4.85) after one session of TMS and 5.88 (95% CI, 3.68–8.07) at last post-TMS CRS-R assessment. The standardized mean difference between real rTMS and sham was 2.82 (95% CI, −1.50 to 7.14), favoring rTMS. The linear regression model showed that patients had significantly greater CRS-R index changes if they were in MCS, had an etiology of stroke or intracranial hemorrhage, received 10 or more sessions of TMS, or if TMS was initiated within 3 months from injury.Conclusions: TMS may improve outcomes in MCS and PVS. Further evaluation with randomized, clinical trials is necessary to determine its efficacy in this patient population.

Childhood maltreatment is associated with a poor treatment response to conventional antidepressants and increased risk for treatment-resistant depression (TRD). The N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor (NDMAR) antagonist ketamine has been shown to rapidly improve symptoms of depression in patients with TRD. It is unknown if childhood maltreatment could influence ketamine’s treatment response. We examined the relationship between childhood maltreatment using the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire (CTQ) and treatment response using the Quick Inventory of Depressive Symptoms–Self Report (QIDS-SR) in TRD patients receiving intravenous ketamine at a community outpatient clinic. We evaluated treatment response after a single infusion (n = 115) and a course of repeated infusions (n = 63). Repeated measures general linear models and Bayes factor (BF) showed significant decreases in QIDS-SR after the first and second infusions, which plateaued after the third infusion. Clinically significant childhood sexual abuse, physical abuse, and cumulative clinically significant maltreatment on multiple domains (maltreatment load) were associated with better treatment response to a single and repeated infusions. After repeated infusions, higher load was also associated with a higher remission rate. In contrast to conventional antidepressants, ketamine could be more effective in TRD patients with more childhood trauma burden, perhaps due to ketamine’s proposed ability to block trauma-associated behavioral sensitization.

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