Applications of cognitive fMRI and invasive mapping in clinical paediatrics

Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has influenced our understanding of cognition in epilepsy throughout the lifespan. Clinical fMRI provides reliable, noninvasive guidance of cognitive functioning and plays a growing role in the epilepsy pre-surgical evaluation. Subdural mapping and stereoelectroencelphalography (sEEG) are additional methods of functional mapping that can provide valuable information regarding functional brain networks in the context of seizure activity. In this talk I will review our application of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) of memory and language, subdural mapping, and stereoelectroencelphalography (sEEG) in the setting of paediatric epilepsy surgery. Successful application of these methods requires consideration of important sociocultural factors such as age, cognitive ability and bilingualism, all of which need to be incorporated into functional mapping methods and case conceptualization.