Evaluation of deep gray matter volume, cortical thickness and white matter integrity in patients with typical absence epilepsy: a study using voxelwise-based techniques.
INTRODUCTION
The objective of this study was to evaluate the cortical thickness and the volume of deep gray matter structures, measured from 3D T1-weighted gradient echo imaging, and white matter integrity, by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in patients with typical absence epilepsy (AE).


METHODS
Patients (n = 19) with typical childhood AE and juvenile AE, currently taking antiepileptic medication, were compared with control subjects (n = 19), matched for gender and age. 3D T1 magnetization-prepared rapid gradient echo-weighted imaging and DTI along 30 noncolinear directions were performed using a 1.5-T MR scanner. FreeSurfer was used to perform cortical volumetric reconstruction and segmentation of deep gray matter structures. For tract-based spatial statistics analysis of DTI, a white matter skeleton was created, along with a permutation-based inference with 5000 permutations. A threshold of p < 0.05 was used to identify abnormalities in fractional anisotropy (FA). The mean, radial, and axial diffusivities were also projected onto the mean FA skeleton.


RESULTS
Patients with AE presented decreased FA and increased mean diffusivity and radial diffusivity values in the genu and the body of the corpus callosum and right anterior corona radiata, as well as decreased axial diffusivity in the left posterior thalamic radiation, inferior cerebellar peduncle, right cerebral peduncle, and right corticospinal tract. However, there were no significant differences in cortical thickness or deep gray matter structure volumes between patients with AE and controls.


CONCLUSION
Abnormalities found in white matter integrity may help to better understand the pathophysiology of AE and optimize diagnosis and treatment strategies.
['Corrêa|D G|DG|', 'Ventura|N|N|', 'Zimmermann|N|N|', 'Doring|T M|TM|', 'Tukamoto|G|G|', 'Leme|J|J|', 'Pereira|M|M|', "D'Andrea|I|I|", 'Rêgo|C|C|', 'Alves-Leon|S V|SV|', 'Gasparetto|E L|EL|']
D016880:Anisotropy D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging D004832:Epilepsy, Absence D005260:Female D066128:Gray Matter D006801:Humans D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional D008297:Male D066127:White Matter D055815:Young Adult
Cortical thickness Absence epilepsy Diffusion tensor imaging Magnetic resonance imaging