Stereotactic Laser Ablation for Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (Slate)

Exclusion Criteria

• •Unwilling or unable to sign the study informed consent form
• •Pregnant or intends to become pregnant during the course of the study
• •Currently implanted with a device contraindicating MRI
• •Progressive brain lesions and/or tumors not associated with epileptic disease state
• •History of previous intracranial surgery for treatment of epileptic seizures
• •Persistent extra-temporal or predominant contralateral focal interictal spikes or slowing, or generalized interictal spikes on EEG
• •Seizures with contralateral or extra-temporal ictal onset on EEG
• •Aura and/or ictal behavior suggest an extra-temporal focus
• •MRI evidence of epileptogenic, extra-temporal lesions, dual pathology in the temporal lobe, or contralateral hippocampal MRI increased signal and/or loss of architecture
• •If additional testing has been performed, results are discordant with the seizure focus scheduled for ablation
• •Non-compliance with AED requirements
• •IQ \< 70
• •Dementia or other progressive neurological disease
• •Unstable major psychiatric illness, psychogenic non-epileptic seizures, or medical illness that would contraindicate the Visualase procedure or affect the neuropsychological assessments
• •Participation in other research that may potentially interfere with SLATE endpoint(s)
• •Allergy to gadolinium