Functional neuroimaging of malformations of cortical development.

Functional neuroimaging over the past 10 years has led to greater insights into the pathophysiology underlying symptomatic epilepsy. Such imaging has been used to localize cerebral dysfunction, predominantly through disturbances in metabolism or blood flow. Techniques available include single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Although the use of these diagnostic techniques is widely reported for presurgical evaluation, there has been little work with specific reference to malformations of cortical development.