Dr Gonzalo Alarcon  MD PhD
Reader
Honorary Consultant
Director MSc Epileptology

biography

Dr Gonzalo Alarcon is Reader and Honorary Consultant in Clinical Neurophysiology of Epilepsy. He graduated in Medicine with ‘Premio Extraodinario’ at the Universidad Complutense (Madrid), and carried out his PhD and postdoctoral research in Basic Neurophysiology before specialising in Clinical Neurophysiology. His main interest is the surgical treatment of epilepsy and, in particular, the development of techniques for presurgical assessment that could improve surgical outcome. He has developed methods to study the propagation of seizures and epileptiform discharges, and to identify epileptogenic cortex through the study of responses to cortical stimulation of the human brain via intracranial electrodes. He has also investigated the cognitive effects of stimulation of different brain regions in order to prevent cognitive deficits induced by surgery and to identify the regions involved in memory encoding. He is now studying the correlation of these techniques with findings single cell recordings. He was awarded the Gower’s Prize by the International League Against Epilepsy and is the director of the first ever MSc Course in Epilepsy.

publications

Original articles and publications:

1. Alarcon G, Garcia Seoane JJ, Ortiz Blasco JM (1986) A fast data acquisition system for neurophysiological signals based on a personal microcomputer. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 18: 295-311.

2. Alarcon G, Cervero F (1990) The effects of electrical stimulation of A and C visceral afferent fibres on the excitability of viscero-somatic neurones in the thoracic spinal cord of the cat. Brain Research. 509: 24-30.

3. Alarcon G, Guy CN, Walker S (1991) An assembler routine for on line graphic display and averaging of data acquired on a personal microcomputer. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 38:1-14.

4. Bullmore E, Brammer M, Binnie CD, Alarcon G (1992) Fractal electroencephalography. The Lancet. 339:618-619.

5. Bullmore E, Brammer M, Alarcon G, Binnie CD (1992) A new technique of fractal analysis applied to human, intracerebrally recorded, ictal electroencephalographic signals. Neuroscience Letters. 146:227-230.

6. Guy CN, Walker S, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Chesterman P, Fenwick P, Smith S (1993) MEG and EEG in epilepsy: Is there a difference ?. Physiological Measurements. 14:A99-A102.

7. Faber J, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Polkey CE (1993) Prognostic factors in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery. Cesko-Slovenska Neurologie neurochirugie. 56/89:4-11 (In Check).

8. Alarcon G, Guy CN, Binnie CD, Walker SR, Elwes RDC, Polkey CE (1994) Intracerebral propagation of interictal activity in partial epilepsy: implications for source localisation. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 57:435-449.

9. Bullmore ET, Brammer MJ, Bourlon P, Alarcon G, Polkey CE, Elwes R, Binnie CD (1994) Fractal analysis of electroencephalographic signals intracerebrally recorded during 35 epileptic seizures: evaluation of a new method for synoptic visualisation of ictal events Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 91:337-345.

10. Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Elwes RDC, Polkey CE (1995) Power spectrum and intracranial EEG patterns at seizure onset in partial epilepsy. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. 94:326-337.

11. Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Elwes RDC, Polkey CE (1995) Monotherapy antiepileptic drug trials in patients undergoing presurgical assessment: methodological problems and possibilities. Seizure. 4:293-301.

12. Alarcon G (1996) Electrophysiological aspects of interictal and ictal activity in human partial epilepsy. Seizure. 5:7-33.

13. Frangou S, Sharma T, Alarcon G, Sigmundsson T, Takei N, Binnie C, Murray RM (1997) The Maudsley Study II: Endogenous event-related potentials in familial schizophrenia. Schizophrenia Research. 23:45-53.

14. Alarcon G, Garcia Seoane JJ, Binnie CD, Martin Miguel MC, Juler J, Polkey CE, Elwes RDC, Ortiz Blasco JM (1997) Origin and propagation of discharges in the acute electrocorticogram: implications for physiopathology and surgical treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy. Brain. 120: 2259-2282.

15. Adachi N, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Elwes RDC, Polkey CE, Reynolds EH. (1998) Predictive value of interictal epileptiform discharges during non-REM sleep on scalp EEG recordings for the lateralisation of epileptogenesis. Epilepsia. 39:628-632.

16. Alarcon G., Elwes RDC, Polkey CE, Binnie CD. (1998) Ictal oro-alimentary automatism’s with preserved consciousness: Implications for the pathophysiology of automatism’s and relevance to the International Classification of Seizures. Epilepsia. 39:1119-1127.

17. Ferrier CH, Engelsman J, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (1999) Prognostic factors in presurgical assessment of frontal lobe epilepsy. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 66:350-356.

18. Topalkara K, Alarcon G, Binnie CD (1998) Effects of flash frequency and repetition of intermittent photic stimulation on photoparoxysmal responses. Seizure. 7:249-255.

19. Koutroumanidis M, Binnie CD, Elwes RDC, Polkey C, Seed P, Alarcon G, Panayiotopoulos CP, Cox T, Barrington S, Marsden P, Maisey MN (1998) Interictal regional slow activity in temporal lobe epilepsy correlates with lateral temporal hypometabolism as imaged with FDG PET. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 65:170-176.

20. Fernandez Torre JL, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (1999) Comparison of sphenoidal, foramen ovale and anterior temporal placements for detecting interictal epileptiform discharges in presurgical assessment for temporal lobe surgery. Clinical Neurophysiology. 110:895-904.

21. Fernandez Torre JL, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Garcia Seoane JJ, Juler J, Guy CN, Polkey CEP (1999) Generation of scalp discharges in temporal lobe epilepsy as suggested by intraoperative electrocorticographic recordings. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 67:51-58.

22. Engelsman, J, Ferrier CH, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (1999) Prognostic factors in frontal lobe surgery for the treatment of epilepsy. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Epileptologie. 27:46-50 (in Dutch).

23. Engelsman, J, Ferrier CH, Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (1999) Reply. Nederlands Tijdschrift voor Epileptologie. 27:51 (in Dutch).

24. Alarcon G, Binnie CD, Garcia Seoane JJ, Martin Miguel MC, Fernandez Torre JL, Polkey CE, Guy CN (1999) Mechanisms involved in the propagation of interictal epileptiform discharges in partial epilepsy. Published in Clinical Neurophysiology: from receptors to Perception. Edited by G Comi, C.H. Lucking, J. Kimura and P.M. Rossini. Supplement 50 to Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology. pp 259-278.

25. Ferrier CH, Alarcon G, Glover A, Koutroumanidis M, Morris RG, Simmons A, Elwes RDC, Cox T, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (2000) N-Acetylaspartate and creatine levels measured by 1H MRS relate to recognition memory. Neurology. 55:1874-1883.

26. Alarcón G, Guy CN, Binnie CD (2000) A simple algorithm for a digital three pole Butterworth filter of arbitrary cut-off frequency: application to digital electroencephalography. Journal of Neuroscience Methods. 104:35-44.

27. Ferrier CH, Alarcón G, Engelsman J, Binnie CD, Koutroumanidis M, Polkey CE, Janota I, Dean A. (2001) Relevance of residual histologic and electrocorticographic abnormalities for surgical outcome in frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia. 42:363-371.

28. Kissani N, Alarcón G, Dad M, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (2001) Sensitivity of recordings at sphenoidal electrode site for detecting seizure onset: evidence from scalp, superficial and deep foramen ovale recordings. Clinical Neurophysiology. 112:232-240.

29. Irwin K, Birch V, Lees J, Polkey C, Alarcón G, Binnie C, Smedley M, Baird, G, Robinson R (2001) Multiple subpial transection in Landau-Kleffner syndrome. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology. 43:248-252.

30. Alarcón G, Kissani N, Dad M, Elwes RDC, Ekanayake J, Hennessy MJ, Koutroumanidis M, Binnie CD, Polkey CE (2001) Lateralizing and localizing values of ictal onset recorded on the scalp: evidence from simultaneous recordings with intracranial foramen ovale electrodes. Epilepsia. 42:1426-1437.

31. Heasman BC, Valentín A, Alarcón G, García Seoane JJ, Binnie CD, Guy CN. (2002) A hole in the skull distorts substantially the distribution of extracranial electric fields in an in vitro model. Journal of Clinical Neurophysiology. 19:163-171.

32. Valentín A, Anderson M, Alarcón G, García Seoane JJ, Selway R, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (2002) Responses to single pulse electrical stimulation identify epileptogenesis in the human brain in vivo. Brain. 125:1709-1718.

33. Koutroumanidis M, Binnie CD, Hennessy MJ, Alarcón G, Elwes RDC, Toone BK, Chandler C, Selway R, Polkey CE, O’Connor SA (2003). VNS in patients with previous unsuccessful resective epilepsy surgery: antiepileptic and psychotropic effects. Acta Neurologica Scandinavica. 107:117-121.

34. Akanuma N, Alarcón G, Lum F, Morris RG, Koutroumanidis M, Adachi N, Binnie CD, Polkey CE (2003). Lateralising value of neuropsychological protocols for presurgical assessment of temporal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsia. 44:408-418.

35. Akanuma N, Koutroumanidis M, Adachi N, Alarcón G, Binnie CD (2003) Presurgical assessment of memory-related brain structures: the Wada test and functional neuroimaging. Seizure. 12:346-358.

36. Lacruz ME, Alarcón G, Akanuma N, Lum FCK, Kissani N, Koutroumanidis M, Adachi N, Binnie CD, Polkey CE, Morris RG (2004) Neuropsychological effects associated with temporal lobectomy and amygdalo-hippocampectomy depending on Wada test failure. Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 75:600-607.

37. Dinesh Nayak S, Valentín A, Alarcón G, García Seoane JJ, Brunnhuber F, Juler J, Polkey CE, Binnie CD (2004) Characteristics of scalp electrical fields associated with deep mesial temporal epileptiform discharges. Clinical Neurophysiology. 115:1423-1435.

38. Coleshill SG, Binnie CD, Morris RG, Alarcón G, Van Emde Boas W, Velis DN, Simmons A, Polkey CE, Veelen CWN, Van Rijen PC (2004) Material-specific recognition memory deficits elicited by unilateral hippocampal electrical stimulation. Journal of Neuroscience. 24:1612-1616.

39. Koutroumanidis M, Martín Miguel C, Hennessy MJ, Akanuma N, Valentín A, Alarcón G, Jarosz JM, Polkey CE (2004) Interictal temporal delta activity in temporal lobe epilepsy: correlations with pathology and outcome. Epilepsia. 45:1351-1367.

40. Alarcón G (2005) Electrical stimulation in epilepsy. Clinical Neurophysiology. 116(3):716-717. (Editorial)

41. Valentín A, Alarcón G, García Seoane JJ, Lacruz E, Selway R, Polkey CE, Binnie CD. (2005) Single pulse electrical stimulation (SPES) in presurgical assessment of epilepsy. Epileptic disorders. 7:171-172.

42. Valentín A, Alarcón G, Selway R, García Seoane JJ, Lacruz E, Nayak D, Anderson, MDJ, Binnie CD, Polkey CE (2005) Single pulse electrical stimulation identifies epileptogenic frontal cortex. Neurology. 65:426-435.

43. Valentín A, Alarcón G , Honavar M , García Seoane JJ, Selway RP, Polkey CE, Binnie CD (2005) Single pulse electrical stimulation for identification of structural abnormalities and prediction of seizure outcome after epilepsy surgery: a prospective study. Lancet Neurology. 4:718-726.

44. Farrant A, Morris RG, Russell T, Elwes R, Akanuma N, Alarcón G, Koutroumanidis M. (2005) Social cognition in frontal lobe epilepsy. Epilepsy Behav. 7:506-516.

45. Jing M, Sanei S, Corsini J, Alarcón G. (2005) Incorporating BSS to epileptic seizure predictability measure from scalp EEG. Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc. 6:5950-5953

46. Alarcón G (2006) Reply to Dr Osorio’s letter. Clinical Neurophysiology. 117:696-697. (Letter to editor)

47. Alarcón G, Valentín A, Watt C, Selway R, Lacruz ME, Elwes R, Jarosz J, Honavar M, Brunhuber F, Mullatti N, Bodi I, Salinas M, Binnie CD, Polkey CE. (2006) Is it worth pursuing surgery for epilepsy in patients with normal neuroimaging? Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry. 77: 474-480.

48. Corsini J, Shoker L, Sanei S, Alarcón G (2006) Epileptic seizure predictability from scalp EEG incorporating constrained blind source separation. IEEE Transactions on Biomedical Engineering. 53:790-799.

49. Lacruz ME, García Seoane JJ, Valentin A, Selway R and Alarcón G (2007) Frontal and temporal functional connections of the living human brain. European Journal of Neuroscience. 26:1357-70.

50. Valentín A, Alarcón G (2008) Single pulse electrical stimulation in presurgical assessment of epilepsy: a new diagnostic tool. Advances in Clinical Neuroscience and Rehabilitation (ACNR). 8:14-18.

51. Valentín A, Arunachalam R, Mesquita-Rodrigues A, Garcia-Seoane JJ, Richardson MP, Mills K, Alarcón G (2008). EEG responses to Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) in the evaluation of focal epilepsy. Epilepsia. 49:470-80.

52. Akanuma N, Reed LJ, Marsden PK, Jarosz J, Adachi N, Hallett WA, Alarcón G, Morris RG, and Koutroumanidis M (2009) Networks involved in episodic memory in the human brain: A correlation study between intracarotid amobarbital test and [18F]FDG-PET. Journal of Cognitive Neuroscience. 21:605-22.

53. Flanagan D, Valentin A, Garcia Seoane JJ, Alarcón G, Boyd S. (2009) Single pulse electrical stimulation helps to identify epileptogenic cortex in children. Epilepsia. [Epub ahead of print]

54. Rosenzweig I, Valentin A, Brex PA, Crook WS, Elwes RDC, Alarcon G (2009) Face-related ictal hallucinations and illusions and reflex-type phenomena: a case report. J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci. 21:469-470.

55. Alarcon, G, Simon C (2009) The annual epilepsy review. InnovAiT 2:213-221.

56. Sparkes M, Valentín A, Alarcón G. (2009) Mechanisms involved in the conduction of anterior temporal epileptiform discharges to the scalp. Clinical Neurophysiology. 120:2063-2070.

57. Rodrigues S, Barton D, Marten F, Kibuuka M, Alarcón G, Richardson MP, Terry JR. (2010) A method for detecting false bifurcations in dynamical systems: application to neural-field models. Biol Cybern. 102:145-54.


Books

1. Alarcon Palomo G (1987) Auditory evoked potentials generated by commutation of sound frequencies. Contributions on the instrumental design and methods of analysis. Editorial de la Universidad Complutense (Madrid, Spain). Servicio de Reprografia. Colección Tesis Doctorales. 432 pages. (in Spanish).

2. Bullmore ET, Brammer MJ, Alarcon G, Binnie CD (1994) Synoptic visualisation of brain electrical activity during a cluster of 11 epileptic seizures. Published in Fractals in the Natural and Applied Sciences. Edited by Miroslav M. Novak. North Holland (Amsterdam, London, New York, Tokyo). pp 69-80.

3. Alarcon G, Bullmore E, Brammer M, Binnie CD (1997) Fractal analysis of the EEG in epilepsy Published in Analysis of the Electrical Activity of the Brain. Edited by F. Angeleri, S.R. Butler, S. Giaquinto and J. Majkowski. John Wiley & Sons (Chichester, New York). pp 69-82.

4. Binnie CD, Alarcon G, Elwes RDC, Garcia Seoane JJ, Juler J, Polkey CE. (1998) Role of electrocorticography in "en bloc" temporal lobe resection: the Maudsley experience. Published in Electrocorticography: Current Trends and Future Perspectives. Edited by LF Quesney, CD Binnie and GE Chatrian. Electroencephalography and Clinical Neurophysiology (Supplement 48). Elsevier Science BV (Holland). pp 17-23.

5. Alarcon G (1998) Diagnosis and classification of the epilepsies: pathophysiological and psychiatric aspects. Published in Psychiatric Comorbidity and Epilepsy. Basic Mechanisms, Diagnosis, and Treatment. Edited by H. W. McConnell and P. J. Snyder. American Psychiatric Press, Inc. (Washington, DC and London). pp 37-83.

6. Picornell I, Alarcon Palomo G (1998) Drug refractory epilepsy and surgery. Published in Treatment of Epilepsy. Edited by F. Villarejo Ortega. Editorial Diaz de Santos (Madrid). pp 155-179 (in Spanish)

7. Binnie CD, Polkey CE, Alarcon G. (2000). Electrocorticography. Published in Epilepsy Surgery. Edited by H Lüders and Y Comair. Lippincott-Raven (Philadelphia). pp 637-641.

8. Alarcón G. (2002) Digital techniques in Electroencephalography. Published in Textbook of Electroencephalography. Edited by A Gil-Nagel, J Parra, J Iriarte and AM Kanner. McGraw-Hill/Interamericana (Madrid, Spain). pp 257-271. (In Spanish).

9. Alarcón G, Cooper R, Binnie CD, Fowler CJ (2004) Fundamentals of neurophysiology. Published in Clinical Neurophysiology, vol 1: EMG, Nerve Conduction and Evoked Potentials. Edited by CD Binnie, R Cooper, F Mauguière, JW Osselton, PF Prior, BM Tedman. Elsevier B.V. pp 3-18.

10. Cooper R, Alarcón G, Binnie CD (2004) Techniques. Published in Clinical Neurophysiology, vol 1: EMG, Nerve Conduction and Evoked Potentials. Edited by CD Binnie, R Cooper, F Mauguière, JW Osselton, PF Prior, BM Tedman. Elsevier B.V. pp 19-39.

11. Techniques in Clinical Neurophysiology. A practical manual. (2005) Edited by Raymond Cooper, Colin Binnie and Richard Billings. Elsevier Churchill Livingstone (Edinburgh, London).

12. Epilepsy. (2009) Alarcón G, Nashef L, Cross H, Nightingale J and Richardson S. Oxford Specialist Handbooks in Neurology, Oxford University Press.

last updated: Wednesday, April 28, 2010