MRI plays an increasingly important role in the diagnosis of status epilepticus (SE). Approximately half of patients with SE do not have pre-existing epilepsy, and the cause of de novo SE is frequently unknown. The role of MRI in the identification of causes of SE is invaluable. MRI is often helpful as a diagnostic tool in cases of non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) with ambiguous EEG findings. Thus, MRI is recommended for all patients presenting with de novo SE, patients with known epilepsy with the first episode of SE and NCSE with equivocal EEG. Different peri-ictal MRI (PMA) alterations may be seen during ongoing SE or briefly after its cessation. They commonly present as peri-ictal hyper-perfusion, diffusion restriction and/or FLAIR-hyperintensity affecting specific brain areas such as the cortex, hippocampus, pulvinar of the thalamus, splenium of the corpus callosum, claustrum or cerebellum, frequently in combination, suggesting the existence of a “status epilepticus network”. MRI sequences, which are necessary for detecting PMA, include diffusion-weighted imaging, fluid attenuated inversion recovery, T1-weighted imaging with and without contrast application, as well as perfusion sequences such as arterial spin labeling. Recent research suggests that they may serve as biomarkers for predicting an outcome in SE. Patients with PMA seem to have a higher mortality rate compared to those without PMA. However, there is still a substantial knowledge gap and there are many open questions related to imaging in SE. Further prospective quantitative MRI studies with uniform protocols, timing and follow-up periods are needed to answer these important and clinically relevant questions.

Objective: We aimed to investigate timing of occurrence of peri‐ictal MRI abnormalities – a potential risk biomarker of status epilepticus‐related cerebral injury (t2). Methods: This prospective study enrolled adult patients with status epilepticus and acute magnetic resonance imaging (MRI); patients with peri‐ictal MRI abnormalities underwent follow‐up MRI 4 weeks later. Predictive model, using logistic regression, integrated clinical factors (duration, semiology, and etiology of status epilepticus and the patients’ level of consciousness) to prognosticate occurrence of peri‐ictal MRI abnormalities. Cerebral injury due to status epilepticus was assessed by comparative volumetric analysis of acute and follow‐up MRIs. Results: Among 256 patients, 137 (53%) had peri‐ictal MRI abnormalities. The likelihood of their occurrence increased over time under the influence of semiology and etiology of status epilepticus as well as the patients’ level of consciousness: it was highest in non‐convulsive status epilepticus caused by acute primary or secondary etiologies at 10 minutes after onset in patients with stupor/coma (81–85%); it increased at 24 hours to 92%; and at 48 hours to 95%. Conversely, in alert/somnolent patients with prominent motor symptoms and acute triggering factors associated with epilepsy, the possibility of developing peri‐ictal MRI abnormalities at 24 hours was 4 to 5% and at 48 hours it was 6 to 11%. In 28 of 45 (62%) of follow‐up MRIs, structural long‐term consequences of status epilepticus were observed in the form of either cortical and hippocampal atrophy or global cerebral volume loss. Interpretation: In this novel multimodal approach based on MRI data, the patients’ level of consciousness, etiology, and duration of status epilepticus offers insights into the risk of possible brain injury in status epilepticus. ANN NEUROL 2026;99:523–534

Neuroimaging studies have so far identified structural changes in individuals with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) when compared with controls. However, the underlying mechanisms of drug-resistant JME remain unknown. In this study, we aimed at characterizing the structural underpinnings of drug-resistant JME using MRI-derived cortical morphologic markers. In this prospective cross-sectional 2-center study, T1-weighted MRI and neuropsychological measures of verbal memory and executive function were obtained in individuals with drug-resistant and drug-responsive JME recruited from epilepsy outpatient clinics and healthy controls. We performed vertexwise measurements of cortical thickness, surface area, and local gyrification index (LGI). Vertexwise group comparisons were corrected for multiple comparisons at a familywise error (FWE) of 0.05. The neuropsychological profile of disease subgroups was analyzed through principal component analysis. We studied 42 individuals with drug-resistant JME (mean age 29 ± 11 years, 50% female), 37 with drug-responsive JME (mean age 34 ± 10, years, 59% female), and 71 healthy controls (mean age 21 ± 9 years, 61% female). Surface area was increased in participants with drug-resistant JME in the left temporal lobe (Cohen d = 0.82 [-0.52 to -1.12], p_FWE < 0.05) when compared with the drug-responsive group. Although no cortical thickness changes were observed between disease subgroups, drug-resistant and drug-sensitive participants showed discrete cortical thinning against controls (Cohen d = -0.42 [-0.83 to -0.01], p_FWE < 0.05; Cohen d = -0.57 [-1.03 to -0.11], p_FWE < 0.05, respectively). LGI was increased in the left temporal and occipital lobes in drug-resistant participants (Cohen d = 0.60 [0.34-0.86], p_FWE < 0.05) when contrasting against drug-sensitive participants, but not controls. The composite executive function score was reduced in drug-resistant individuals compared with controls and drug-sensitive individuals (-1.74 [-2.58 to -0.90], p < 0.001 and -1.29 [-2.25 to -0.33], p < 0.01, respectively). Significant correlations were observed between executive function impairment and increased surface area in the precuneus and medial prefrontal regions (r = -0.79, p_FWE < 0.05) in participants with drug-resistant JME. We identified a developmental phenotype in individuals with drug-resistant JME characterized by changes in cortical surface area and folding complexity, the extent of which correlates with executive dysfunction. No association was observed between cortical thickness and disease severity. Our findings support a neurodevelopmental basis for drug resistance and cognitive impairment in JME.

Objective: People with epilepsy (PWEs) often face difficulties in obtaining or keeping employment. To determine the views on this topic of the heads of human resources (HHRs) and occupational physicians (OCPs). Method: Twelve HHRs and five OCPs underwent a telephone interview concerning the opportunities and limitations of job applications for PWEs. The interviews were performed in May 2020, in the federal state of Salzburg, Austria, and they were analyzed using the qualitative method of content analysis (Kuckartz). The legal situation was investigated according to Global target 5.2 of the Intersectoral Global Action Plan (IGAP) on epilepsy and other neurological disorders 2022–2031 by WHO. Results: Employers were confident that employees with epilepsy could be managed well in a positive company culture and with first responders in place. The Austrian law predisposes to uncertainty among both employers and employees. In particular, it allows only retrospective juridical clarification of health‐related questions in the job interview. The authors developed a classification system of workplaces, with “D0” (D‐zero) meaning no health or financial danger, for example, office workers and “D1” posing still no health hazard but includes regular work with cash, for example, salespersons. “D2” means potential medical implications for the person with epilepsy or any other person at the workplace, for example, industrial worker. Measures taken to abandon the risk in D2 workplaces, for example, a total sheath for a machine, leads to reclassification as “D2‐0.” With D2, OCPs evaluate the applicant's medical fitness for the job without disclosing medical details to the employer. The “compartment model of medical information in the job application process” guarantees that OCPs are the only persons who learn about the applicant's medical details. Significance: The practical and simple classification of workplaces according to the D‐system, and the concept of making medical information accessible only to OCPs may diminish stigma and discrimination in the working world for PWEs.