title: Brain SPECT in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy: comparison between visual analysis and SPM.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To compare the accuracy of SPM and visual analysis of brain SPECT in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Interictal and ictal SPECTs of 22 patients with MTLE were performed. Visual analysis were performed in interictal (VISUAL(inter)) and ictal (VISUAL(ictal/inter)) studies. SPM analysis consisted of comparing interictal (SPM(inter)) and ictal SPECTs (SPM(ictal)) of each patient to control group and by comparing perfusion of temporal lobes in ictal and interictal studies among themselves (SPM(ictal/inter)).
  
  
  RESULTS
  For detection of the epileptogenic focus, the sensitivities were as follows: VISUAL(inter)=68%; VISUAL(ictal/inter)=100%; SPM(inter)=45%; SPM(ictal)=64% and SPM(ictal/inter)=77%. SPM was able to detect more areas of hyperperfusion and hypoperfusion.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  SPM did not improve the sensitivity to detect epileptogenic focus. However, SPM detected different regions of hypoperfusion and hyperperfusion and is therefore a helpful tool for better understand pathophysiology of seizures in MTLE.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nuclear Medicine, Department of Radiology, School of Medical Sciences, Campinas State University, Campinas, SP, Brazil. juarezbarbara@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Bárbara Juarez
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Amorim
authors.forename: Celso Darío
authors.initials: CD
authors.lastname: Ramos
authors.forename: Allan Oliveira
authors.initials: AO
authors.lastname: dos Santos
authors.forename: Mariana da Cunha Lopes
authors.initials: Mda C
authors.lastname: de Lima
authors.forename: Li Li
authors.initials: LL
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Edwaldo Eduardo
authors.initials: EE
authors.lastname: Camargo
authors.forename: Fernando
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Cendes
authors.forename: Elba Cristina Sá de Camargo
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Etchebehere
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002908:Chronic Disease; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015899:Tomography, Emission-Computed, Single-Photon