Functional magnetic resonance behavior analysis in memory and language tasks in temporal lobe epilepsy

• Grant number: 10/09629-0
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: July 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Radiology
• Principal Investigator: Paula Ricci Arantes
• Grantee: Clarice Listik
• Host Institution: Instituto de Radiologia (INRAD). Hospital das Clínicas da Faculdade de Medicina da USP (HCFMUSP). Secretaria da Saúde (São Paulo - Estado). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Associated research grant: 05/56464-9 - Neuroscience Imaging Center at University of São Paulo Medical School, AP.CINAPCE.TEM

Abstract

Temporal lobe epilepsy is a common cause of drug-refractory epilepsy. Therefore, it is responsible for the majority of the surgical treatments in this area. In the presurgical evaluation, the Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging exam (fMRI) can estimate the areas related to language and memory with tasks that are executed during the exam. It estimates the contralateral functional reserve and the functional capacity of the lesion. To validate the fMRI results, behavior data is essential because it proves the task was executed. This study aims to compare the behavior data of patients with epilepsy in the presurgical evaluation and of healthy controls to analyze the difference in the memory and language performance. We will study 20 patients with right mesial hippocampal sclerosis, 20 patients with the lesion in the left side and 20 paired by sex, age and educational level. The fMRI exam will include verbal generation tasks, semantic and phonological decision tasks and memory codification tasks with scenes, words and patterns for later behavior data covariate analysis. The parameters that will be used are correct response percentage and reaction time. Our hypothesis is that the patient group will have longer reaction time and smaller correct response percentages than the controls. However, we expect that the performance in the patients group will be variable, according to the lateralization of the lesion and the task in question. (AU)