title: White matter diffusion abnormalities in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to conduct a preliminary investigation of the white matter characteristics in patients with psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) data were collected at 3T in 16 patients with PNES and 16 age- and sex-matched healthy controls (HC). All patients with PNES had their diagnosis confirmed via video/EEG monitoring; HCs had no comorbid neurological or psychiatric conditions. DTI indices including fractional anisotropy (FA), and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated and compared between patients with PNES and HCs using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS). Significantly higher FA values were observed in patients with PNES in the left corona radiata, left internal and external capsules, left superior temporal gyrus, as well as left uncinate fasciculus (UF) (P<0.05; corrected for multiple comparisons). There was no significant change in other indices between patients with PNES and HCs. These findings suggest that patients with PNES have significantly altered white matter structural connectivity when compared to age- and sex-matched HCs. These abnormalities are present in left hemispheric regions associated with emotion regulation and motor pathways. While the relationship between the pathophysiology of PNES and these abnormalities is not entirely clear, this work provides an initial basis to guide future prospective studies.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Seongtaek
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Jane B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Allendorfer
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Tyler E
authors.initials: TE
authors.lastname: Gaston
authors.affiliation: Department of Psychology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Joseph C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Griffis
authors.affiliation: School of Public Health, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Kathleen A
authors.initials: KA
authors.lastname: Hernando
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA 94143, USA.
authors.forename: Robert C
authors.initials: RC
authors.lastname: Knowlton
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA.
authors.forename: Jerzy P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Szaflarski
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Engineering, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA; Neurology service, Birmingham VA Medical Center, Birmingham, AL 35294, USA. Electronic address: lverhoef@uab.edu.
authors.forename: Lawrence W
authors.initials: LW
authors.lastname: Ver Hoef
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D016880:Anisotropy; D001921:Brain / Q000473:pathology*; D056324:Diffusion Tensor Imaging; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011602:Psychophysiologic Disorders / Q000473:pathology*; D012640:Seizures / Q000473:pathology*; D066127:White Matter / Q000473:pathology*; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI); Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES); Superior temporal gyrus (STG); Tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS); Uncinate fasciculus (UF)