White matter abnormalities in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy

Meng, Lu; Xiang, Jing; Kotecha, Rupesh; Rose, Douglas; Zhao, Hong; Zhao, Dazhe; Yang, Jinzhu; Degrauw, Ton

doi:10.1016/j.mri.2010.03.046

« Previous Next »Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Volume 28, Issue 9 , Pages 1290-1298, November 2010

White matter abnormalities in children and adolescents with temporal lobe epilepsy

Lu Meng
- MEG Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
- Key Laboratory of Medical Image Computing of Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China
- Corresponding author. Division of Neurology, MLC 2015, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA. Tel.: +1 513 636 6641; fax: +1 513 636 1888.
Jing Xiang
- MEG Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
Rupesh Kotecha
- MEG Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
Douglas Rose
- MEG Center, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA
Hong Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Image Computing of Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China
Dazhe Zhao
- Key Laboratory of Medical Image Computing of Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China
Jinzhu Yang
- Key Laboratory of Medical Image Computing of Ministry of Education, Northeastern University, Shenyang 110004, China
Ton Degrauw
- Department of Neurology, Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, Cincinnati, OH 45220, USA

Received 30 September 2009; received in revised form 21 February 2010; accepted 11 March 2010. published online 26 July 2010.

Abstract

Background and Purpose

The widespread propagation of synchronized neuronal firing in seizure disorders may affect cortical and subcortical brain regions. Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can noninvasively quantify white matter integrity. The purpose of this study was to investigate the abnormal changes of white matter in children and adolescents with focal temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using DTI.

Materials and Methods

Eight patients with clinically diagnosed TLE and eight age- and sex-matched healthy controls were studied. DTI images were obtained with a 3-T magnetic resonance imaging scanner. The epileptic foci were localized with magnetoencephalography. Fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), parallel (λ_||) and perpendicular (λ_⊥) diffusivities in the genu of the corpus callosum, splenium of the corpus callosum (SCC), external capsule (EC), anterior limbs of the internal capsule (AIC), and the posterior limbs of the internal capsule (PIC) were calculated. The DTI parameters between patients and controls were statistically compared. Correlations of these DTI parameters of each selected structure with age of seizure onset and duration of epilepsy were analysed.

Results

In comparison to controls, both patients' seizure ipsilateral and contralateral had significantly lower FA in the AIC; PIC and SCC and higher MD, λ_|| and λ_⊥ in the EC, AIC, PIC and SCC. The MD, λ_|| and λ_⊥ were significantly correlated with age of seizure onset in the EC and PIC. λ_|| was significantly correlated with the duration of epilepsy in the EC and PIC.

Conclusion

The results of the present study indicate that children and adolescents with TLE had significant abnormalities in the white matter in the hemisphere with seizure foci. Furthermore, these abnormalities may extend to the other brain hemisphere. The age of seizure onset and duration of epilepsy may be important factors in determining the extent of influence of children and adolescents TLE on white matter.

Keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging, Temporal lobe epilepsy, White matter, Children and adolescents