Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42406029›Full record

ArticleNeuroradiology2026

Enhanced detection of subtle cortical abnormalities in focal epilepsy using 7 T MRI surface-based models and graph neural networks.

Matteo Lenge, Simona Fiori, Pietro Cappelletto, Andrea Droghini, Elisa Barbi, Anna Maria Buccoliero, Graziella Donatelli, Michela Tosetti, Flavio Giordano, Carmen Barba and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Neuroradiology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

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2 · The registry

The trial behind it

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3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

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4 · The record

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5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Matteo LengeNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-2848-621X
Simona FioriNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0933-6120
Pietro CappellettoNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-8421-4799
Andrea DroghiniNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.
Elisa BarbiNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-9350-7614
Anna Maria BuccolieroNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4993-0765
Graziella DonatelliIMAGO7 Foundation, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-5325-0746
Michela TosettiLaboratory of Medical Physics and Magnetic Resonance, IRCCS Fondazione Stella Maris, Pisa, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-2515-7560
Flavio GiordanoNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9006-9225
Carmen BarbaNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-5842
Renzo GuerriniNeuroscience and Human Genetics Department, Meyer Children's Hospital IRCCS, Florence, Italy. renzo.guerrini@unifi.it.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-7272-7079

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

purposeMRI detection of subtle focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)-like abnormalities remains challenging in focal epilepsy. Higher signal-to-noise ratio and spatial resolution offered by ultra-high-field 7T MRI and surface-based graph-neural-network (GNN) analysis may improve detection of subtle cortical abnormalities. We evaluated whether combining 7T MRI with a surface-based GNN classifier improves lesion detection in focal epilepsy of suspected structural origin.

methodsWe analyzed paired 7T and 3T MRI datasets from 87 patients with focal epilepsy (78.1% pediatric) and 10 internal healthy control individuals. We processed T1-weighted and Fluid-Attenuated-Inversion-Recovery MRI using a surface-based framework and a pre-trained GNN classifier developed within the Multi-centre-Epilepsy-Lesion-Detection project. We compared classifier outputs with expert visual MRI assessment, clinical and surface electroencephalography (EEG) localization (all patients), stereo-EEG (ten patients) and histopathological (17 patients) findings. We evaluated diagnostic yield and lesion conspicuity, and performed within-subject comparisons between 7T and 3T.

resultsFollowing quality controls, we included 70 patients. The 7T MRI-based classifier identified lesion clusters concordant with visual 3T MRI and electroclinical localization in 25/37 (67.6%) MRI-positive patients, electroclinical-concordant clusters in 15/33 (45.4%) 3T MRI-negatives, stereo-EEG-concordant clusters in 7/10 (70.0%) patients and surgically-concordant clusters in 11/17 (64.7%). Among classifier-positive patients (40/70, 57.1%), 7T allowed detection of previously hidden lesions in 15/40 (37.5%) patients, and improved detection of known lesions in 11/40 (27.5%).

conclusionCombining 7T MRI with surface-based GNN analysis improves detection and characterization of FCD-like abnormalities in focal epilepsy, particularly in patients with unrevealing 3T MRI, supporting the adoption of advanced neuroimaging in presurgical epilepsy assessment.

Indexed as

Epilepsies, PartialFocal Cortical DysplasiaImage Interpretation, Computer-AssistedMagnetic Resonance ImagingAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolElectroencephalographyFemaleGraph Neural NetworksHumansMaleArtificial intelligenceComputational MRIFocal cortical dysplasiaFocal epilepsyMRI

Identifiers

PMID42406029
PMCPMC13577987

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.