title: Hippocampal metabolic dysfunction in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: 3D multivoxel spectroscopy study.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the metabolic differences in hippocampi of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and healthy controls using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).
  
  
  METHODS
  A 3D multivoxel SE 135 MRS study on 1.5 T scanner of both hippocampi was performed in 17 patients with JME and normal brain MRI and in 19 age and sex matched controls. Three dominant signals were measured: Choline (Cho), Creatine (tCr) and N-Acetylaspartate (NAA) and expressed as ratios of Cho:tCr, NAA:tCr, NAA:Cho and NAA:(Cho+tCr). Metabolite ratios in head, body and tail of each hippocampus in the JME group of patients were compared with ratios from corresponding structures in the control group.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found a significant difference in metabolite ratios of both hippocampi between the JME and the control groups. We detected significant differences of Cho:tCr in the head, NAA:tCr in the head, body and tail, NAA:Cho and NAA:(Cho+tCr) in the body and tail of the left hippocampus, and NAA:Cho and NAA:(Cho+tCr) in the body and tail of the right hippocampus.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Although not previously recognized as a part of the epileptogenic network, our results suggest that the hippocampus, well recognized as a key player in focal epilepsies, may have a certain role in the pathogenesis of JME.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology Clinical Center of Serbia CCS, Belgrade, Serbia. aristic@eunet.yu
authors.forename: Aleksandar J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Ristić
authors.forename: Jelena
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Ostojić
authors.forename: Duško
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kozić
authors.forename: Nikola M
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Vojvodić
authors.forename: Ljubica M
authors.initials: LM
authors.lastname: Popović
authors.forename: Slavko
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Janković
authors.forename: Vladimir
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Baščarević
authors.forename: Dragoslav V
authors.initials: DV
authors.lastname: Sokić
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D001224:Aspartic Acid / Q000031:analogs & derivatives / Q000378:metabolism; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000378:metabolism; D002794:Choline / Q000378:metabolism; D003401:Creatine / Q000378:metabolism; D005260:Female; D006624:Hippocampus / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D021621:Imaging, Three-Dimensional / Q000379:methods*; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000378:metabolism / Q000503:physiopathology; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D001224:Aspartic Acid; C000179:N-acetylaspartate; D003401:Creatine; D002794:Choline