An Intracranial Electroencephalography (iEEG) Brain Function Mapping Tool with an Application to Epilepsy Surgery Evaluation

Object: Before epilepsy surgeries, intracranial electroencephalography (iEEG) is often employed in function mapping and epileptogenic foci localization. Although the implanted electrodes provide crucial information for epileptogenic zone resection, a convenient clinical tool for electrode position registration and brain function mapping visualization is still lacking. In this study, we developed a Brain Function Mapping (BFM) Tool, which facilitates electrode position registration and brain function mapping visualization, with an application to epilepsy surgeries.Methods: The BFM Tool mainly utilizes electrode location registration and function mapping based on pre-defined brain models from other software. In addition, the electrode node and mapping properties, such as the node size/color, edge color / thickness, mapping method, can be adjusted easily using the setting panel. Moreover, users may manually import / export location and connectivity data to generate figures for further application. The role of this software is demonstrated by a clinical study of language area localization.Results: The BFM Tool helps clinical doctors and researchers visualize implanted electrodes and brain functions in an easy, quick and flexible manner.Conclusions: Our tool provides convenient electrode registration, easy brain function visualization, and has good performance. It is clinical-oriented and is easy to deploy and use. The BFM tool is suitable for epilepsy and other clinical iEEG applications

Multi-Fluorescence Real-Time PCR Assay for Detection of RIF & INH Resistance of M. tuberculosis

Background: Failure to early detect multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) results in treatment failure and poor clinical outcomes, and highlights the need to rapidly detect resistance to rifampicin (RIF) and isoniazid (INH)Methods: In Multi-Fluorescence quantitative Real-Time PCR (MF-qRT-PCR) assay, 10 probes labeled with 4 kinds of fluorophores were designed to detect the mutations in regions of rpoB, katG, mabA-inhA, oxyR-ahpC and rrs. The efficiency of MF-qRT-PCR assay was tested using 261 bacterial isolates and 33 clinical sputum specimens. Among these samples, 227 Mycobacterium tuberculosis isolates were analyzed using drug susceptibility testing (DST), DNA sequencing and MF-qRT-PCR assay.Results: Compared with DST, MF-qRT-PCR sensitivity and specificity for RIF-resistance were 94.6% and 100%, respectively. And the detection sensitivity and specificity for INH-resistance were 85.9% and 95.3%, respectively. Compared with DNA sequencing, the sensitivity and specificity of our assay were 97.2% and 100% for RIF-resistance and 97.9% and 96.4% for INH-resistance. Compared with Phenotypic strain identification, MF-qRT-PCR can distinguish 227 Mycobacterium tuberculosis complexes (MTC) from 34 Non-tuberculous mycobacteria (NTM) isolates with 100% accuracy rate.Conclusions: MF-qRT-PCR assay was an efficient, accurate, reliable and easy-operated method for detection of RIF and INH-resistance, and distinction of MTC and NTM of clinical isolates