Structural changes in the temporal lobe and piriform cortex in frontal lobe epilepsy

Neuronal networks involved in seizure generation, maintenance and spread of epileptic activity comprise cortico-subcortical circuits. Although epileptic foci vary in location across focal epilepsy syndromes, there is evidence for common structures in the epileptogenic networks. We recently reported...

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Detalles Bibliográficos
Autores: Centeno, Maria|||0000-0003-4801-4535, Vollmar, Christian, Stretton, J., Symms, M. R., Thompson, P. J., Richardson, M. P., O'Muircheartaigh, J., Duncan, John S., Koepp, M. J.
Tipo de recurso: artículo
Fecha de publicación:2014
País:España
Institución:Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Repositorio:Dipòsit Digital de Documents de la UAB
Idioma:inglés
OAI Identifier:oai:ddd.uab.cat:185029
Acceso en línea:https://ddd.uab.cat/record/185029
https://dx.doi.org/urn:doi:10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2014.03.001
Access Level:acceso abierto
Palabra clave:Frontal lobe epilepsy
Piriform cortex
Voxel based morphometry
MRI
Descripción
Sumario:Neuronal networks involved in seizure generation, maintenance and spread of epileptic activity comprise cortico-subcortical circuits. Although epileptic foci vary in location across focal epilepsy syndromes, there is evidence for common structures in the epileptogenic networks. We recently reported evidence from functional neuroimaging for a unique area in the piriform cortex, common to focal epilepsies in humans, which might play a role in modulating seizure activity. In this study, we aimed to identify common areas of structural abnormalities in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). T1-weighted MRI scans of 43 FLE patients and 25 healthy controls were analysed using voxel based morphometry. Differences in regional grey matter volume were examined across the whole brain, and correlated with age at epilepsy onset, duration and frequency of seizures. We detected areas of increased grey matter volume in the piriform cortex, amygdala and parahippocampal gyrus bilaterally, as well as left mid temporal gyrus of patients relative to controls, which did not correlate with any of the clinical variables tested. No common areas of atrophy were detected across the FLE group. Structural abnormalities within the piriform cortex and adjacent structures of patients with FLE provide further evidence for the involvement of this area in the epileptogenic network of focal epilepsies. Lack of correlation with duration or age of onset of epilepsy suggests that this area of abnormality is not a consequence of seizure activity.