Epilepsy affects millions globally, including 50,000 in BC. Of this population, about 1;3 have drug-resistant epilepsy. Seizures can be unpredictable and often dangerous, leading to injury, hospitalization, and mortality. In addition, they often negatively impact mental health and daily functioning. Epilepsy surgery is the only curative therapy for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. It can improve patients’ lives and reduce the risk of sudden unexpected death. Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a non-invasive neuroimaging tool that aids in presurgical planning, proven effective in a multitude of studies and used continent-wide. Despite this, BC lacks a comprehensive epilepsy program supporting MEG for presurgical planning, lagging behind other Canadian regions in funding and treatment availability for its epilepsy population. Addressing this gap necessitates collaboration among the community, healthcare providers, researchers, and policymakers to co-create a research agenda. Our outcomes will include identifying and learning from successful models outside of our region, identifying the specific needs in our current model, and creating a research agenda aimed at addressing these needs.
