Mina Park MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Injoong Kim, Presenter: Nothing to Disclose

Kwon Joon Ho MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Yoon Seong Choi MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Na-Young Shin MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Kyung-Eun Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Jinna Kim MD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Seung-Koo Lee MD, PhD, Abstract Co-Author: Nothing to Disclose

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is a severe form of epilepsy with childhood onset, accompanying with moderate to severe congnitive dysfunction. However white matter disruption of the patients remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate white matter integrity by using DTI in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome without morphologic abnormalities in conventional imaging.

In a restrospective study, diffusion tensor images from 11 patients of Lennox-Gastaut syndrome without morphologic abnormalities on conventional MRI were processed. Eleven clinical control subjects were matched for age, sex, and scanning parameters. Paired TBSS was performed to evaluate differences in FA .

In patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, FA value clusters in the white matter was significantly decreased compared to the healthy controls. Significant FA values reduction in patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome were found in the right middle frontal gyrus, left superior frontal gyrus, bilateral anterior thalamic radiations, corpus callosum, external and internal capsules, inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus, and corticospinal tracts.

Despite qualitatively normal-appearing white matter tissues, patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome have widespread microstructural changes measurable with quantitative DTI. Although the pathologic-anatomic correlation of theses findings remains, these regions are strongly suggested to be related to cognitive impairments in these patients.

Fractional anisotropy evaluated using tract-based spatial statistics can be used to show abnormalities in the patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome who have normal findings at conventional MR imaging.

Park, M, Kim, I, Joon Ho, K, Choi, Y, Shin, N, Kim, K, Kim, J, Lee, S, Assessment of White Matter Integrity Using Tract-based Spatial Statistics in Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome .  Radiological Society of North America 2013 Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting, December 1 - December 6, 2013 ,Chicago IL. http://archive.rsna.org/2013/13027932.html