Widespread cortical thinning in children with frontal lobe epilepsy.

Purpose: Spread of seizure activity outside the frontal lobe due to cortico-cortical connections can result in alteration in the cortex beyond the frontal lobe in children with intractable frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE). The aim of this study was to identify regions of reduced cortical thickness in children with intractable FLE.

Methods: High-resolution volumetric T(1)-weighted imaging was performed on 17 children with FLE, who were being evaluated for epilepsy surgery, and 26 age-matched healthy controls.

Longitudinal brain volumes in children with intractable partial seizures.

Cross sectional studies in children with epilepsy have reported variable changes in brain volume. The study hypothesis was that seizures result in injury to the developing brain, which is manifested as a reduction in brain volume. The aim was to evaluate the gray and white matter volumes longitudinally in children with partial epilepsy.

Diffusion tensor imaging identifies changes in normal-appearing white matter within the epileptogenic zone in tuberous sclerosis complex.

Purpose: To evaluate diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) indices of (i) cortical tubers and (ii) normal-appearing subcortical white matter adjacent to cortical tubers within the epileptogenic zone and non-epileptogenic zone.

Methods: Twelve children with tuberous sclerosis complex underwent MRI, DTI and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Regions of interest (ROIs) were placed within cortical tubers and normal-appearing subcortical white matter adjacent to cortical tubers within MEG identified epileptogenic zone and non-epileptogenic zone.

Diffusion tensor tractography detection of functional pathway for the spread of epileptiform activity between temporal lobe and Rolandic region.

Purpose: The aim of the study was to assess the connectivity between magnetoencephalographic (MEG) dipoles in the temporal lobe and Rolandic region in children with temporal lobe epilepsy using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) tractography.

Methods: Six pediatric patients with intractable focal epilepsy had MEG performed, which showed MEG dipoles over both temporal and Rolandic regions in a unilateral hemisphere. DTI tractography was performed on each patient.

Subcortical alterations in tissue microstructure adjacent to focal cortical dysplasia: detection at diffusion-tensor MR imaging by using magnetoencephalographic dipole cluster localization.

Purpose: To determine whether changes at diffusion-tensor magnetic resonance (MR) imaging were present in children with intractable epilepsy and focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) in (a) subcortical white matter subjacent to MR imaging-visible areas of FCD, (b) subcortical white matter beyond the MR imaging-visible abnormality but subjacent to a magnetoencephalographic (MEG) dipole cluster, and (c) deep white matter tracts.

Materials And Methods: The study protocol had institutional research ethics board approval, and written informed consent was obtained. Fifteen children with FCD and intractable epilepsy (mean age, 11.