CLONAZEPAM CAN FACILITATE SENSORIMOTOR FUNCTIONAL MRI EXAMINATIONS IN STATUS EPILEPTICUS DURING SLEEP

Functional magnetic resonance imaging examinations became an integral part of epilepsy surgery workup. In the pediatric population these examinations are usually carried out in full anesthesia, however in some forms of epilepsy, e.g. electrical status epilepticus in sleep, anesthesia could jeopardize the success of the examination. Here, we show on the example of an eight-year-old polymicrogyric epileptic child, that clonazepam can help suppressing the epileptic activity during propofol anesthesia, so it could facilitate performing passive sensorimotor functional MRI in such a case. Furthermore, among the methodological issues addressed, this case provides evidence for a post-hemispherotomy like functional redistribution of sensorimotor activations to the unaffected hemisphere in a case of childhood epilepsy.