Journal
EPILEPSY RESEARCH
Volume 108, Issue 5, Pages 978-981Publisher
ELSEVIER SCIENCE BV
DOI: 10.1016/j.eplepsyres.2014.03.001
Keywords
Frontal lobe epilepsy; Piriform cortex; Voxel based morphometry; MRI
Categories
Funding
- Department of Health's NIHR Biomedical Research Centres
- Wellcome Trust [079474]
- Big Lottery Fund, Wolfson Trust
- Epilepsy Society (ES MRI scanner)
- EFNS scientific fellowships program
- Caja Madrid post graduate grants
- Universitat Autonoma of Barcelona postgraduate program-Programa de doctorado
- MRC [MC_U105579215] Funding Source: UKRI
- Medical Research Council [MC_U105579215] Funding Source: researchfish
- National Institute for Health Research [NF-SI-0509-10161] Funding Source: researchfish
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Background: 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). Methods: 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. Results: 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. Conclusions: 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. (C) 2014 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V.
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