Commission on Diagnostic Methods

Task Forces

Focal cortical dysplasia (Type IIB)

2017-2021 Task Forces:

2013-2017 Task Forces:

Information from these task forces is provided for archive purposes:

Autoimmunity/Inflamation Task Force

More information coming soon.

Clinical Genetic Testing in the Epilepsies

Genetics is assuming an increasingly important role in the epilepsies, not only for establishing a cause, but also for guiding treatment, prognostication, counselling and many other aspects of care. Whilst there has been, and continues to be, tremendous progress in research in epilepsy genetics, application to clinical practice is for many the key outcome. The Task Force aims to make available information, recommendations and support on best practice in clinical testing for epileptologists and non-expert physicians seeing people with epilepsy, and to facilitate translation and adoption of genomic science into clinical practice, enabling the implementation of precision medicine where possible. The Task Force is joint between the Commission on Diagnostic Methods and the Commission on Genetics.

EEG Task Force (formerly, Task Force for Neurophysiology)

Consensus terminology use, protocols and guidelines for minimum requirements to apply neurophysiology measures are the major topic of this Task Force. Comprehensive reviews summarizing indications, types and placement of intracranial electrodes (ECoG, SEEG, Strips, Grids) have been recently published, as a result of the taskforce activity. Additional guidelines and recommendations for EEG are being developed together with the International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology.

Published reports
Events

Past events:

FCD Classification Task Force

More information coming soon.

Imaging Task Force (formerly, Neuroimaging Task Force)

The Imaging Task Force focuses on building new practice parameters for the use of MRI in epilepsy care. The overall goal is to update guidelines according to new clinical challenges and research findings taking into account new hardware and sequences developments. The recommendations are generally broad enough to assist health care clinicians in established and new epilepsy centers and community settings, both for pediatric and adult populations. They cover topics such as the role of MRI in new-onset epilepsy, the minimum requirements for an epilepsy protocol, and the optimized imaging for pre-surgical evaluation, and the value of post-processing for difficult-to-identify lesions. The group is also finalizing a proposal for a yearly Summer School on Neuroimaging, which will take advantage of a web-based virtual MRI reading and teaching platform currently being developed. Several members of this task force are also active in didactic activities at the International Epilepsy Congress and the Annual meeting of the American Epilepsy Society.

Published reports

Task Force for Neuropsychology

An important aspect of our commission’s work addressed neuropsychology measures during presurgical evaluation to be understandable for epileptologists when using or interpreting different test domains. Particular topics include measures for assessment of developmental hindrance, measures sensitive to antiepileptic drug treatment or sensitive to EEG pathology (electrophysiological epileptic activity, single spikes & spikewaves, grouped activity, nonconvulsive (cognitive) seizures). Consensus protocols for assessment of hemispheric dominance (IAT, fMRI, functional Doppler, dichotic listening), measures sensitive to surgical treatment, and measures and markers for assessing every day functioning are other important issues.

An official report defining minimum standards for neuropsychology assessment in epilepsy has been published in 2015 (Wilson et al. Epilepsia. 2015 May;56(5):674-81) and a second report on Neuropsychological measures in epilepsy surgery is envisaged for 2016. The Task Force will organize a first training course on neuropsychology and epilepsy in France, April 10-15. Thirsty-six participants will take part in lectures, case presentations, and discussions designed to illustrate principles of differential diagnosis and case formulation in neuropsychological practice in epilepsy. Five-days course material will be presented by leading clinical experts in the field, including clinical neuropsychologists working in epilepsy programs from around the world.

Published reports

Indications and expectations for neuropsychological assessment in routine epilepsy care. Epilepsia. 2015 May;56(5):674-81. doi: 10.1111/epi.12962

Events

More events to be added soon!

Archived Task Force Information

Task Force for Education - Summer Schools in Diagnostic Methods

This Task Force has been launched in December 2015 to develop and harmonize ILAE’s various summer schools and to align their aims to ILAE’s strategic plan, educational mission and vision. The Task Force will work closely together with the Educational commission and Education Task Force.

Reports

ILAE Summer School Guidelines

Events

More events to be added soon!

Task Force for Neuropathology

This term’s major effort of the Neuropathology Task Force addresses tumor-related epilepsies. Neuropathology agreement has shown poor inter-rater agreement in the classification of brain tumors associated with long-term epilepsies (LEAT). LEATs mostly encompass glio-neuronal tumors, i.e. gangliogliomas and DNT (approx. 60-80%), and their frequencies vary largely between regional case series. We have built a collaborative virtual microscopy platform, which allows us to review large series of LEAT variants by a panel of international neuropathologists and to encourage discussion between WHO and Intl. Society of Neuropathology to achieve consensus terminology use and acceptance of a revised tumor classification system. The work is disseminated by our Neuropathology Summer School, which was held as a migrating course in Campinas, Brazil, July 26-30, 2015. In 2016, courses will be organized in China (West China Hospital, Chengdu, August 29th – September 1) and Erlangen, Germany (October 6-9).

Published reports
Events

Some of the events held in 2017 included: