Brain, Vol. 124, No. 3, 617-626,
March 2001
© 2001 Oxford University Press
Diffusion tensor imaging in patients with epilepsy and malformations of cortical development
1 The MRI Unit, National Society for Epilepsy and Epilepsy Research Group, Gerrards Cross and 2 NMR Research Unit, University Department of Clinical Neurology, Institute of Neurology, University College London, London, UK
Correspondence to:
Professor J. S. Duncan, National Society for Epilepsy, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Chalfont St Peter, Gerrards Cross, Bucks SL9 0RJ, UK E-mail: j.duncan{at}ion.ucl.ac.uk
Malformations of cortical development (MCD) are a common cause of epilepsy. Studies of structural MRIs and PET data in patients with MCD have found widespread changes outside the visually identified lesions. The aim of this study was to investigate diffusion changes interictally in patients with MCD and to test the hypothesis that MCD would be associated with widespread abnormalities of diffusion. We used diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and statistical parametric mapping (SPM) to compare objectively tissue organization in 22 patients with partial seizures and MCD, with 30 control subjects. Whole-brain DTI was acquired using echo planar imaging. Rotationally invariant anisotropy and diffusivity maps were calculated and, after normalization to Talairach space, each patient was compared with the group of control subjects using SPM. Areas of reduced anisotropy were found in 17 patients and areas of increased diffusivity in 10. Two patients had areas of increased anisotropy. There were no patients with reduced diffusivity. Areas of increased diffusivity were in general more extensive than areas of reduced anisotropy. Changes in tissue beyond the MCD, that appeared normal on conventional MRI, were found in six patients for anisotropy and nine patients for diffusivity. Both measurements showed widespread changes in tissue beyond the MCD, i.e. adding information to conventional MRI. Increased or abnormally located grey matter or pathological white matter with abnormal myelination or ectopic neurones could cause reduced anisotropy. Increased diffusivity could be caused by a defect of neurogenesis or cell loss resulting in increased extracellular space. The widespread nature of abnormalities should be considered if surgical treatment is contemplated.
CiteULike 
Connotea 
Del.icio.us What's this?
This article has been cited by other articles:
|
|
 |
|
  E. Widjaja, S. Zarei Mahmoodabadi, H. Otsubo, O. C. Snead, S. Holowka, S. Bells, and C. Raybaud Subcortical Alterations in Tissue Microstructure Adjacent to Focal Cortical Dysplasia: Detection at Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging by Using Magnetoencephalographic Dipole Cluster Localization Radiology, April 1, 2009; 251(1): 206 - 215. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 J. Mbwana, M. M. Berl, E. K. Ritzl, L. Rosenberger, J. Mayo, S. Weinstein, J. A. Conry, P. L. Pearl, S. Shamim, E. N. Moore, et al. Limitations to plasticity of language network reorganization in localization related epilepsy Brain, February 1, 2009; 132(2): 347 - 356. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. G. P. Nucifora, R. Verma, S.-K. Lee, and E. R. Melhem Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging and Tractography: Exploring Brain Microstructure and Connectivity Radiology, November 1, 2007; 245(2): 367 - 384. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M.I. Makki, D.C. Chugani, J. Janisse, and H.T. Chugani Characteristics of Abnormal Diffusivity in Normal-Appearing White Matter Investigated with Diffusion Tensor MR Imaging in Tuberous Sclerosis Complex AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2007; 28(9): 1662 - 1667. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. S. Yu, C. Z. Zhu, K. C. Li, Y. Xuan, W. Qin, H. Sun, and P. Chan Relapsing Neuromyelitis Optica and Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis: Differentiation at Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging of Corpus Callosum Radiology, July 1, 2007; 244(1): 249 - 256. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Castillo Spectroscopy Evidence of Diffuse Brain Abnormalities in Patients with Epileptogenic Foci AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., June 1, 2007; 28(6): 1076 - 1077. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
R. D. Nave, A. Magaudda, R. Michelucci, G. Capizzi, A. Calabro, L. Guerrini, C. Gavazzi, S. Diciotti, P. Riguzzi, O. Daniele, et al. Whole-Brain Histogram and Voxel-Based Analyses of Apparent Diffusion Coefficient and Magnetization Transfer Ratio in Celiac Disease, Epilepsy, and Cerebral Calcifications Syndrome AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., March 1, 2007; 28(3): 479 - 485. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
T. Taoka, S. Iwasaki, M. Sakamoto, H. Nakagawa, A. Fukusumi, K. Myochin, S. Hirohashi, T. Hoshida, and K. Kichikawa Diffusion anisotropy and diffusivity of white matter tracts within the temporal stem in Alzheimer disease: evaluation of the "tract of interest" by diffusion tensor tractography. AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., May 1, 2006; 27(5): 1040 - 1045. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
L. Thivard, C. Adam, D. Hasboun, S. Clemenceau, E. Dezamis, S. Lehericy, D. Dormont, J. Chiras, M. Baulac, and S. Dupont Interictal diffusion MRI in partial epilepsies explored with intracerebral electrodes Brain, February 1, 2006; 129(2): 375 - 385. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 D. S. Tuch, D. H. Salat, J. J. Wisco, A. K. Zaleta, N. D. Hevelone, and H. D. Rosas Choice reaction time performance correlates with diffusion anisotropy in white matter pathways supporting visuospatial attention PNAS, August 23, 2005; 102(34): 12212 - 12217. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
M. Bozzali, A. Falini, M. Cercignani, F. Baglio, E. Farina, M. Alberoni, P. Vezzulli, F. Olivotto, F. Mantovani, T. Shallice, et al. Brain tissue damage in dementia with Lewy bodies: an in vivo diffusion tensor MRI study Brain, July 1, 2005; 128(7): 1595 - 1604. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. J. Rugg-Gunn, P. A. Boulby, M. R. Symms, G. J. Barker, and J. S. Duncan Whole-brain T2 mapping demonstrates occult abnormalities in focal epilepsy Neurology, January 25, 2005; 64(2): 318 - 325. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
C. C. T. Lim, H. Yin, N. K. Loh, V. G. E. Chua, F. Hui, and A. J. Barkovich Malformations of Cortical Development: High-Resolution MR and Diffusion Tensor Imaging of Fiber Tracts at 3T AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., January 1, 2005; 26(1): 61 - 64. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 S.-K. Lee, D. I. Kim, J. Kim, D. J. Kim, H. D. Kim, D. S. Kim, and S. Mori Diffusion-Tensor MR Imaging and Fiber Tractography: A New Method of Describing Aberrant Fiber Connections in Developmental CNS Anomalies RadioGraphics, January 1, 2005; 25(1): 53 - 65. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 M Symms, H R Jager, K Schmierer, and T A Yousry A review of structural magnetic resonance neuroimaging J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, September 1, 2004; 75(9): 1235 - 1244. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
P. M. Ruggieri, I. Najm, R. Bronen, M. Campos, F. Cendes, J. S. Duncan, H. -G. Weiser, and W. H. Theodore Neuroimaging of the cortical dysplasias Neurology, March 23, 2004; 62(6_suppl_3): S27 - S29. [Full Text]
|
|
|
|
|
|
A. B. Ragin, P. Storey, B. A. Cohen, L. G. Epstein, and R. R. Edelman Whole Brain Diffusion Tensor Imaging in HIV-Associated Cognitive Impairment AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., February 1, 2004; 25(2): 195 - 200. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 F. E. Jansen, K. P. J. Braun, O. van Nieuwenhuizen, G. Huiskamp, K. L. Vincken, A. C. van Huffelen, and J. van der Grond Diffusion-Weighted Magnetic Resonance Imaging and Identification of the Epileptogenic Tuber in Patients With Tuberous Sclerosis Arch Neurol, November 1, 2003; 60(11): 1580 - 1584. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
B. A. Assaf, F. B. Mohamed, K. J. Abou-Khaled, J. M. Williams, M. S. Yazeji, J. Haselgrove, and S. H. Faro Diffusion Tensor Imaging of the Hippocampal Formation in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy AJNR Am. J. Neuroradiol., October 1, 2003; 24(9): 1857 - 1862. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
 |
|
 K. H. Taber, C. Pierpaoli, S. E. Rose, F. J. Rugg-Gunn, J. B. Chalk, D. K. Jones, and R. A. Hurley The Future for Diffusion Tensor Imaging in Neuropsychiatry J Neuropsychiatry Clin Neurosci, February 1, 2002; 14(1): 1 - 5. [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|
|
|
|
|
F. J. Rugg-Gunn, S. H. Eriksson, M. R. Symms, G. J. Barker, and J. S. Duncan Diffusion tensor imaging of cryptogenic and acquired partial epilepsies Brain, March 1, 2001; 124(3): 627 - 636. [Abstract] [Full Text] [PDF]
|
|