A new technique involving ultra-powerful MRI scanners could help doctors identify tiny differences in the brains of people with treatment-resistant epilepsy that may have otherwise been missed, a trial has found.
The method could result in more people with the condition being eligible for life-changing surgery, medics said.
It is estimated that 630,000 people in the UK have epilepsy, with around 60% experiencing focal seizures, which begin in one specific area of the brain but can sometimes spread to other areas.
A third of those with focal epilepsy suffer persistent seizures despite being on medication, with surgery their only hope of a cure.
Surgeons use MRI scans to identify lesions on the brain that cause seizures, before operating to remove them.
Powerful 7T scanners, which have more than twice the…