title: Evaluation of cognitive functions of juvenile myoclonic epileptic patients by magnetic resonance spectroscopy and neuropsychiatric cognitive tests concurrently.
abstract: Our aim in this research is investigating the hypothesis of biochemical changes in frontal cortex and thalamocortical pathways in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and the interaction between the biochemical changes and cortical functions. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) was applied to 20 JME patients and 20 controls for measuring N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), N-acetyl aspartate to creatine ratio (NAA/Cr), Glutamine and Glutamate (GLX), Glutamine-Glutamate to creatine (GLX/Cr), Choline containing compounds (Cho) and Choline to creatine (Cho/Cr) levels. Neuropsychological cognitive tests for linguistic and visual attention, linguistic and visual memory, visuospatial and executive functions were applied to all participants. NAA and NAA/Cr concentrations were found lower in bilateral frontal and thalamic regions in JME group as compared with the control group (p < 0.05). There was no difference in frontal and thalamic GLX, GLX/Cr, Cho, Cho/Cr levels in between JME patients and controls (p > 0.05). JME patients were found more unsuccessful than the controls in attention, memory, visuospatial function, verbal fluency, Trail B test and executive functions, stroop test, clock drawing test and Trail A test (p < 0.05). Prefrontal NAA/Cr level was positively related to visual attention, memory, stroop test and thalamic NAA/Cr level was positively related to linguistic memory and Wisconsin card sorting test in JME patients. This research highlights regional brain changes and cognitive decline in JME patients and suggests that MRS may be a sensitive technique for showing subclinical cognitive changes.
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurological Disorders, Zuhuratbaba mah, Yıldırım Aktuna Binası, 2. Kat doktor odası, Bakirkoy, 34147, Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Nesrin
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Cevik
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurological Disorders, Zuhuratbaba mah, Yıldırım Aktuna Binası, 2. Kat doktor odası, Bakirkoy, 34147, Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayhan
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koksal
authors.affiliation: Radiology department, Zuhuratbaba mah. Dr. Sadi Konuk Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital, Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Turkey. dr_burcuvdogan@hotmail.com.
authors.forename: Vasfiye Burcu
authors.initials: VB
authors.lastname: Dogan
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurological Disorders, Zuhuratbaba mah, Yıldırım Aktuna Binası, 2. Kat doktor odası, Bakirkoy, 34147, Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Ayten Ceyhan
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Dirican
authors.affiliation: Radiology department, Zuhuratbaba mah. Dr. Sadi Konuk Bakirkoy Research and Training Hospital, Bakirkoy, Istanbul, Turkey.
authors.forename: Sibel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Bayramoglu
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurological Disorders, Zuhuratbaba mah, Yıldırım Aktuna Binası, 2. Kat doktor odası, Bakirkoy, 34147, Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Musa
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ozturk
authors.affiliation: Neurology Department, Bakirkoy Training and Research Hospital for Psychiatry and Neurological Disorders, Zuhuratbaba mah, Yıldırım Aktuna Binası, 2. Kat doktor odası, Bakirkoy, 34147, Istanbul , Turkey.
authors.forename: Sevim
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Baybas
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology; D003072:Cognition Disorders / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D006801:Humans; D009682:Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy / Q000379:methods*; D020190:Myoclonic Epilepsy, Juvenile / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000523:psychology*; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests
keywords: Cognition; Epilepsy; Magnetic resonance spectroscopy; Neuropsychological tests