title: Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function by tissue Doppler imaging in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated primary generalized epilepsy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The effects of epilepsy and seizures on cardiac functions have been documented, and this association has drawn attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to investigate left ventricle (LV) diastolic function by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated primary generalized epilepsy (PGE).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty newly diagnosed and untreated PGE patients (14 females, mean age 27.60±9.64 years) and 30 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects (14 females, mean age 29.47±6.89 years) were included in the study. The LV functions of the study cohort were evaluated using conventional echocardiography and TDI.
  
  
  RESULTS
  There were no significant differences found between the two groups regarding the left atrium diameter, left atrium volume index, interventricular septum and posterior wall thickness, LV end diastolic diameter, and LV end diastolic volume (p>0.05 for each parameter). PGE patients exhibited a higher LV end systolic diameter and LV end systolic volume compared to the controls (p<0.001 for each parameter). Thus, the fractional shortening and ejection fraction were lower in the PGE patients (p<0.001 for each parameter). The E to average e' ratio, the most important noninvasive indicator of LV filling pressure, was significantly higher in patients with PGE (8.31±2.78 vs. 6.95±1.26, p=0.018).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The present study reports the systolic and diastolic dysfunction of LV in newly diagnosed PGE patients compared to control subjects. Taken together, the screening of epileptic patients using conventional echocardiography and TDI may be useful to evaluate the effects of epilepsy on cardiac functions.
authors.affiliation: Adana Application and Research Center, Başkent University, Faculty of Medicine, Department of Cardiology, Dadaloglu Mahallesi, 39, Sk. No. 6, 01250 Yureğir, Adana, Turkey. muhammetbilgi@hotmail.com
authors.forename: Muhammet
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Bilgi
authors.forename: Deniz
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Yerdelen
authors.forename: Yücel
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Cölkesen
authors.forename: Haldun
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Müderrisoğlu
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D001342:Autonomic Nervous System Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology; D015992:Body Mass Index; D015331:Cohort Studies; D004452:Echocardiography; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006334:Heart Function Tests; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008297:Male; D017202:Myocardial Ischemia / Q000150:complications; D011446:Prospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013318:Stroke Volume / Q000502:physiology; D014630:Vagus Nerve / Q000503:physiopathology; D016277:Ventricular Function, Left / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diastolic dysfunction; Primary generalized epilepsy; Tissue Doppler imaging