Complexity-based Analysis of the Dynamic of Propagation of Epileptic Seizures

Partial seizures originate from focal regions of epileptogenesis and have variable patterns of regional propagation. To study these patterns, we used the Gabor atom density (GAD) which is a measure of complexity of a signal. It is based on the time-frequency decomposition obtained by the matching pursuit (MP) algorithm. The GAD/MP method was applied to EEG data recorded from intracranial electrodes in patients with intractable epileptic seizures. Seizures analyzed include partial and generalized tonic-clonic events. GAD analyses show that this complexity measure can facilitate the identification of temporal patterns of propagation of epileptic seizures. Local measure of GAD complexity can be an indicator of regional propagation and therefore be a key to identify critical moments in seizure evolution that could be useful in the developing interventions for seizure control