Quantitative MRI biomarkers of cognitive morbidity in temporal lobe epilepsy.
OBJECTIVE
To determine the relation between neuropsychological morbidity, quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of whole brain structure, and clinical seizure factors reflecting epilepsy cause, course, and treatment.


METHODS
Quantitative MRI measurements of total (whole brain) cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and gray- and white-matter volumes and clinical seizure features were examined in relation to summary indices of cognitive morbidity in 96 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. MRI volumes were adjusted for intracranial volume (ICV), and cognitive scores were adjusted for age, education, and gender, based on a sample of 82 healthy controls.


RESULTS
Whole-brain volumes (gray, white, and CSF) were abnormal in chronic temporal lobe epilepsy patients compared with controls and were related significantly to neuropsychological morbidity, especially total CSF. Statistical modeling demonstrated that markers of total atrophy (CSF) was the primary mediator of the relation between clinical seizure variables and neuropsychological morbidity.


CONCLUSIONS
Quantitative measurements of overall brain abnormality (atrophy) in temporal lobe epilepsy are clinically meaningful markers that are associated with increased cognitive morbidity. These biomarkers appear to mediate the adverse effects of some clinical seizure variables on cognition.
Oyegbile
Tayo O
TO
Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin 53792, USA.
Bhattacharya
Abhik
A
Seidenberg
Michael
M
Hermann
Bruce P
BP
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D015415:Biomarkers; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002555:Cerebrospinal Fluid / Q000502:physiology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015233:Models, Statistical; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests / Q000706:statistics & numerical data*; D009929:Organ Size
D015415:Biomarkers