3T Parallel-Transmit for Simultaneous Stereoelectroencephalography and MRI for Realistic Electrode Placement in Epilepsy Patients

Motivation: Investigating optimised RF heating and B1+ field disturbance with sEEG electrodes placement, covering epileptogenic zones in five configurations, using electromagnetic simulations with 16-channel parallel-transmit coil array at 3T for simultaneous sEEG-MRI. Goal(s): The challenge is reducing RF heating from implanted electrodes. Approach: We investigated five electrode placements covering epileptogenic zones to control RF heating and local signal increases using computational field simulations on a realistic computational human model. Results: Implanting electrodes in the left hemisphere improved RF uniformity. Shimming optimisation, integrating B1+ and 0.1g SAR, showed negligible SAR differences from electrode-free setups. Lower SAR correlated with reduced RF strength, suggesting a necessary trade-off. Impact: Our study advances simultaneous EEG/fMRI for drug-resistant epilepsy, optimising electrode safety to better localise seizure onset zones and refine surgical approaches, while ensuring patient safety. It allows for more precise epileptogenic zone resection, potentially advancing therapeutic outcomes.