Abstracts

Distinct Spatial Patterns of Cortical Atrophy and White Matter Compromise Associated with Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Abstract number : 2.175
Submission category : 5. Neuro Imaging / 5A. Structural Imaging
Year : 2022
Submission ID : 2204880
Source : www.aesnet.org
Presentation date : 12/4/2022 12:00:00 PM
Published date : Nov 22, 2022, 05:27 AM

Authors :
Alice Ballerini, MS – University of California, San Diego; Erik Kaestner, PhD – University of California, San Diego; Alena Stasenko, PhD – University of California, San Diego; Adam Schadler, M.A. – University of California, San Diego; Donatello Arienzo, PhD – University of California, San Diego; Carrie R. McDonald, PhD, ABPP/CN – University of California, San Diego

This abstract has been invited to present during the Neuroimaging platform session

Rationale: Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) is recognized as a network disease, involving subcortical volume loss,1 cortical atrophy,2 and loss of white matter integrity.3 There is evidence that cortical atrophy and white matter injury follow different spatial patterns in TLE.4,5 In this study, we seek to determine if the biological processes underlying cortical thinning and white matter injury could be correlated and determine if their associations could be mediated by clinical variables.

Methods: Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and 3D T1-weighted images were collected for 82 TLE patients [mean age 35.85(+12.95), 44 females] and 59 healthy controls [mean age 36.95(+13.72), 36 females]. Subcortical volumes and cortical parcellations were performed with FreeSurfer. Three major morphometric measures were derived: cortical thickness (CT), superficial white matter [i.e., sampled 1 mm below the cortical surface (SWM)], and subcortical volumes. Regarding the SWM, fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) were calculated for each ROI. Finally, to account for the side of the seizure focus, all right-sided TLE’s morphometric measures were flipped, in order to have all the structural data ipsilateral to the hemisphere of the epileptic focus on the left side. After testing for normality assumptions, Independent-Samples Mann-Whitney U Tests were performed to compare structural values between groups. Moreover, Spearman’s Rho correlations were performed in each group between CT and SWM, and clinical variables. Results were corrected for multiple comparisons with a false discovery rate (FDR), pFDR < .05 was considered as significant.
Neuro Imaging