title: Cortical curvature analysis in MRI-negative temporal lobe epilepsy: a surrogate marker for malformations of cortical development.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate cerebral cortical surface morphology in a magnetic resonance (MRI)-negative temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) cohort, and to differentiate between the effects on cortical morphology of cerebral volume loss associated with TLE, and abnormalities suggestive of malformations of cortical development (MCDs).
  
  
  METHODS
  MRI data was gathered for 29 MRI-negative patients and 40 neurologically normal controls. Automated methods of surface reconstruction were applied to all MRI data for the purposes of localized analysis of cortical curvature. As an adjunct to this analysis, measures of whole-brain gray and white matter volumes, as well as cortical thickness, were also generated to determine the degree of whole-brain volume loss in TLE, and its impact on cortical morphology.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Automated analysis of the average cortical surface of the patient group revealed an area of abnormal cortical curvature in the basal left temporal lobe. The presence of whole-brain volume loss in TLE was confirmed and found not to contribute to the cortical curvature abnormality in the temporal lobe. These results support the hypothesis that cortical curvature abnormalities in TLE may be indicative of a subtle MCD.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Subtle MCDs such as abnormal indices of curvature may be associated with partial epilepsy. Analysis of these parameters may increase the diagnostic yield from MRI.
authors.affiliation: Brain Mapping Unit, Department of Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Cambridge, UK. lisa.ronan@gmail.com
authors.forename: Lisa
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Ronan
authors.forename: Cathy
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Scanlon
authors.forename: Kevin
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Murphy
authors.forename: Sinead
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Maguire
authors.forename: Norman
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Delanty
authors.forename: Colin P
authors.initials: CP
authors.lastname: Doherty
authors.forename: Mary
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Fitzsimons
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D015415:Biomarkers; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000002:abnormalities* / Q000254:growth & development / Q000473:pathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers