Nonlinear Dynamics Approach in Patients with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy in Han Subjects of Southwestern China

The article emphasizes clinical significance and analysis of electroencephalogram (EEG) test with nonlinear analysis applied on patients with unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The entire epileptic onset of seizures in 22 patients with TLE were recorded with the synchronous 18-lead EEG. According to the shape of EEG waves and the corresponding symptoms of the clinic during their seizures, data of the four phases, referring to normal condition, preictal phases, ictal phases and postictal phases of epileptic seizures, were selected for nonlinear analysis. The variations of the correlation dimension were calculated. All these data entered the statistical procedure. During epilepsy, the correlation dimension of the EEG signals changes, from high level to low level and then from low to high. The correlation dimension of the EEG signal in precital phases had significant difference with those observed in ictal phases. The study shows that the correlation dimension is a valuable parameter in analyzing nonlinear dynamical characteristics of the EEG signals of TLE and may complement predicting in epilepsy.