title: Cortical and subcortical brain alterations in Juvenile Absence Epilepsy.
abstract: Despite the common assumption that genetic generalized epilepsies are characterized by a macroscopically normal brain on magnetic resonance imaging, subtle structural brain alterations have been detected by advanced neuroimaging techniques in Childhood Absence Epilepsy syndrome. We applied quantitative structural MRI analysis to a group of adolescents and adults with Juvenile Absence Epilepsy (JAE) in order to investigate micro-structural brain changes using different brain measures. We examined grey matter volumes, cortical thickness, surface areas, and subcortical volumes in 24 patients with JAE compared to 24 healthy controls; whole-brain voxel-based morphometry (VBM) and Freesurfer analyses were used. When compared to healthy controls, patients revealed both grey matter volume and surface area reduction in bilateral frontal regions, anterior cingulate, and right mesial-temporal lobe. Correlation analysis with disease duration showed that longer disease was correlated with reduced surface area in right pre- and post-central gyrus. A possible effect of valproate treatment on brain structures was excluded. Our results indicate that subtle structural brain changes are detectable in JAE and are mainly located in anterior nodes of regions known to be crucial for awareness, attention and memory.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; NOCSAE Hospital, AUSL Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Manuela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Tondelli
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; NOCSAE Hospital, AUSL Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Anna Elisabetta
authors.initials: AE
authors.lastname: Vaudano
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Andrea
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Ruggieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical, Metabolic, and Neural Science, University of Modena and Reggio Emilia, Modena, Italy; NOCSAE Hospital, AUSL Modena, Italy.
authors.forename: Stefano
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Meletti
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid
keywords: Cortical thickness; Juvenile Absence Epilepsy; MRI; Sodium valproate; Surface area; Voxel based morphometry