Widespread abnormalities in white matter integrity and their relationship with duration of illness in temporal lobe epilepsy

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 25461779
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: Psychiatric science
• Research Institution: Wakayama Medical University
• Principal Investigator: Tsuji Tomikimi 和歌山県立医科大学, 医学部, 非常勤講師 (10347586)
• Project Period (FY): 2013-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 側頭葉てんかん / 拡散テンソル / TBSS

Outline of Final Research Achievements

We examined abnormalities in whole-brain white matter integrity and their relationship with duration of illness in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).
In the TLE group, compared with the healthy control group, FA was reduced and MD and RD were increased, not only in the limbic and temporal lobe regions and their directly connecting regions in both hemispheres, but also in remote white matter regions. Duration of illness showed a significant negative correlation with mean whole-brain FA and a significant positive correlation with both mean whole-brain MD and RD. Brain regions showing correlation between disease duration and DTI metrics also extended to the limbic and its connecting regions and to remote white matter regions. The results of this study suggest that widespread abnormalities in white matter integrity in patients with TLE and progression of neural damage are associated with long-term disease.

Free Research Field

精神神経医学