Abnormalities of hippocampal signal intensity in patients with familial mesial temporal lobe epilepsy

Autor(es)

A.C. Coan ^[1] ; E. Kobayashi ^[2] ; I. Lopes-Cendes ^[3] ; L.M. Li ^[4] ; F. Cendes ^[5]

Afiliação do(s) autor(es)

^[1] Universidade de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Neurologia

^[2] Universidade de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Neurologia

^[3] Universidade de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Genética Médica - Brasil

^[4] Universidade de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Neurologia

^[5] Universidade de Campinas. Faculdade de Ciências Médicas. Departamento de Neurologia

• Tipo de documento: Artigo Científico
• Fonte: Brazilian Journal of Medical and Biological Research; v. 37, n. 6, p. 827-832, 2004-06-00.

Resumo

Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is associated with hippocampal atrophy and hippocampal signal abnormalities. In our series of familial MTLE (FMTLE), we found a high proportion of hippocampal abnormalities. To quantify signal abnormalities in patients with FMTLE we studied 152 individuals (46 of them asymptomatic) with FMTLE. We used NIH-Image® for volumetry and signal quantification in coronal T1 inversion recovery and T2 for all cross-sections of the hippocampus. Values diverging by 2 or more SD from the control mean were considered abnormal. T2 hippocampal signal abnormalities were found in 52% of all individuals: 54% of affected subjects and 48% of asymptomatic subjects. T1 hippocampal signal changes were found in 34% of all individuals: 42.5% of affected subjects and 15% of asymptomatic subjects. Analysis of the hippocampal head (first three slices) revealed T2 abnormalities in 73% of all individuals (74% of affected subjects and 72% of asymptomatic subjects) and T1 abnormalities in 59% (67% of affected subjects and 41% of asymptomatic subjects). Affected individuals had smaller volumes than controls (P < 0.0001). There was no difference in hippocampal volumes between asymptomatic subjects and controls, although 39% of asymptomatic patients had hippocampal atrophy. Patients with an abnormal hippocampal signal (133 individuals) had smaller ipsilateral volume, but no linear correlation could be determined. Hippocampal signal abnormalities in FMTLE were more frequently found in the hippocampal head in both affected and asymptomatic family members, including those with normal volumes. These results indicate that subtle abnormalities leading to an abnormal hippocampal signal in FMTLE are not necessarily related to seizures and may be determined by genetic factors. (AU)

• Processo FAPESP: 00/05252-8 - Quantificacao da intensidade de sinal de ressonancia magnetica em hipocampos de pacientes com epilepsia de lobo temporal familiar.
• Beneficiário: Ana Carolina Coan
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Iniciação Científica
• Processo FAPESP: 97/07584-3 - A neuroimagem nas epilepsias parciais
• Beneficiário: Fernando Cendes
• Modalidade de apoio: Auxílio à Pesquisa - Jovens Pesquisadores
• Processo FAPESP: 99/10702-3 - Epilepsia de lobo temporal familiar: características clínicas e investigação por ressonância magnética
• Beneficiário: Eliane Kobayashi
• Modalidade de apoio: Bolsas no Brasil - Doutorado