Can Epileptic Seizures be Predicted? Evidence from Nonlinear Time Series Analysis of Brain Electrical Activity

We evaluate the capability of nonlinear time series analysis to extract features from brain electrical activity (EEG) predictive of epileptic seizures. Time-resolved analysis of the EEG recorded in 16 patients from within the seizure-generating area of the brain indicate marked changes in nonlinear characteristics for up to several minutes prior to seizures as compared to other states or recording sites. If interpreted as a loss of complexity in brain electrical activity these changes could reflect the hypothesized continuous increase of synchronization between pathologically discharging neurons and allow one to study seizure-generating mechanisms in humans.