Influence of valproic acid in comparison with other antiepileptic drugs in brain cortical thickness and volume of subcortical cerebral structures in patients with epilepsy

• Grant number: 15/09074-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2015
• End date: September 30, 2016
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Cendes
• Grantee: Guilherme Soares de Oliveira Wertheimer
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Epilepsy is a common neurologic disease that affects 1 to 3% of the population. In recent studies with advanced neuroimaging technics diffuse cerebral damage, like cortical atrophy, was observed in patients with epilepsy. Many factors may be involved in the genesis of these damage, including the pharmacological treatment with anti-epileptic drugs (AEDs). In this study we aim to analyze the influence of the AEDs in the cortical thickness and volume of the white and gray matter, amygdala, hippocampus, thalamus and cerebellum in patients with epilepsy. Patients with clinical diagnosis of epilepsy treated in the University of Campinas (UNICAMP) Clinics Hospital, had their medical charts analyzed to the use of AEDs during the course of the treatment and classified according their use of each AED. Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) will be used and processed with the Free Surfer program to access the cortical and other structures volume. The MRIs of a group of healthy control individuals will be used for the comparison with the limits of normality and a group with patients treated in the same hospital with AED for chronic headaches for the comparison of the role of epilepsy and the AEDs in the brain damage. The volume of each brain structure will be compared between individual that use an specific AED.