Calcification of the pineal gland: relationship to laterality of the epileptic foci in patients with complex partial seizures.
The right and left temporal lobes differ from each other with respect to the rate of intrauterine growth, the timing of maturation, rate of aging, anatomical organization, neurochemistry, metabolic rate, electroencephalographic measures, and function. These functional differences between the temporal lobes underlies the different patterns of psychopathology and endocrine reproductive disturbances noted in patients with temporolimbic epilepsy. The right hemisphere has greater limbic and reticular connections than the left. Since the pineal gland receives direct innervation from the limbic system and the secretion of melatonin is influenced by an input from the reticular system, I propose that lesions in the right temporal lobe have a greater impact on pineal melatonin functions as opposed to those in the left dominant temporal lobe. Consequently, since calcification of the pineal gland is thought to reflect past secretory activity of the gland, I predicted a higher prevalence of pineal calcification (PC) in epileptic patients with right temporal lobe as opposed to those with left temporal lobe foci. To investigate this hypothesis, the prevalence of PC on CT scan was studied in a sample of 70 patients (43 men, 27 women, mean age: 29.2 years, range 9-58; SD = 10.1) with complex partial seizures, of whom 49 (70.0%) had a right temporal lobe focus. PC was present in 51 patients (72.8%) and was unrelated to any of the historical and demographic data surveyed. In the patients with a focus in the right temporal lobe, PC was present in 46 cases (93.8%) as compared to 5 of 21 patients (23.8%) with left temporal lobe foci.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Sandyk
R
R
Department of Medical Physics, University of Thrace, Alexandroupolis, Greece.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002114:Calcinosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D017029:Epilepsy, Complex Partial / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008550:Melatonin / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D010870:Pineal Gland / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000503:physiopathology; D014057:Tomography, X-Ray Computed
D008550:Melatonin