Skip to main content

Graph Neural Network Can Detect Epileptogenic Focal Cortical Dysplasia

Medically reviewed by Carmen Pope, BPharm. Last updated on March 19, 2025.

By Elana Gotkine HealthDay Reporter

WEDNESDAY, March 19, 2025 -- A graph neural network using data from the Multicenter Epilepsy Lesion Detection (MELD) Project (MELD Graph) can detect epileptogenic focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans, with improved positive predictive value (PPV) compared with an existing algorithm, according to a study published online Feb. 24 in JAMA Neurology.

Mathilde Ripart, Ph.D., from the UCL Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health in London, and colleagues examined the efficacy and interpretability of graph neural networks in automatically detecting FCD lesions on MRI scans in a multicenter diagnostic study. Retrospective MRI data were obtained from 23 epilepsy centers worldwide between 2018 and 2022. Data from 20 centers were split into training and testing cohorts, and data from three centers were used for site-independent testing. MELD Graph was trained to identify FCD on surface-based features; performance was compared to that of an existing algorithm. Overall, 34 surface-based MRI features and manual lesion masks were obtained from 703 patients with FCD-related epilepsy and 482 controls.

The researchers found that the MELD Graph had a sensitivity of 81.6 and 63.7 percent in histopathologically confirmed patients who were seizure-free one year after surgery and in MRI-negative patients with FCD, respectively, in the test dataset. The PPV was 67 percent for 260 patients in the test dataset compared with 39 percent using an existing baseline algorithm. In the independent test cohort, the corresponding PPVs were 76 and 46 percent.

"With improved performance over existing methods, interpretable predictions, model confidence scores, and individual patient reports, MELD Graph can support the integration of lesion detection tools into the radiological workflow," the authors write.

Several authors disclosed ties to the biopharmaceutical industry.

Abstract/Full Text (subscription or payment may be required)

Disclaimer: Statistical data in medical articles provide general trends and do not pertain to individuals. Individual factors can vary greatly. Always seek personalized medical advice for individual healthcare decisions.

© 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.

Read this next

Declining Childhood Vaccination May Increase Risk for Vaccine-Preventable Infections

WEDNESDAY, April 30, 2025 -- Declining childhood vaccination rates may increase outbreaks of eliminated vaccine-preventable infections within the United States, leading to a...

AACR: Incidence-Based Mortality Dropping for Young Women With Breast Cancer

TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- Incidence-based mortality (IBM) declined from 2010 to 2020 among women aged 20 to 49 years diagnosed with breast cancer, according to a study presented...

AACR: Nonsurgical Treatment Feasible for Mismatch Repair-Deficient Tumors

TUESDAY, April 29, 2025 -- A neoadjuvant programmed cell death 1 (PD-1) blockade enables nonoperative management among patients with early-stage mismatch repair-deficient (dMMR)...

More news resources

Subscribe to our newsletter

Whatever your topic of interest, subscribe to our newsletters to get the best of Drugs.com in your inbox.