Exploring Changes in Thalamus Metabolites as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Idiopathic Generalised Epilepsy Patients Using Magnetic Resonance Spectroscopy
- Author:
Razzagh Abedi-Firouzjah1
;
Ayoob Rostamzadeh
;
Amin Banaei
;
Mohsen Shafiee
;
Zafar Masoumi Moghaddam
;
Hassan Vafapour
- Publication Type:Journal Article
- Keywords:
spectroscopy;
MRS, MRI;
epilepsy
- From:Malaysian Journal of Medical Sciences
2020;27(1):78-86
- CountryMalaysia
- Language:English
-
Abstract:
Introduction: Idiopathic generalised epilepsy (IGE) refers to a group of epilepsies
resulting from the activation of neurons in the whole brain. This study aimed to evaluate the
metabolite changes in thalamus as diagnostic biomarkers in IGE patients compared to healthy
individuals using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) technique.
Methods: The MRS was performed on 35 IGE patients (26 women and 11 men) with
average age of 32 (ranged from 18 to 43) and 35 healthy individuals (13 women and 22 men) with
average age of 31 (ranged from 21 to 50) as the control group. The levels of N-acetylaspartate
(NAA), creatine (Cr) and choline (Cho) were measured using MRS. The NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho
ratios were calculated for all participants. These values were statistically compared using t-test
between the groups.
Results: The NAA had significant lower values in IGE patients, 9.6 (SD = 0.8) and 9.9
(SD = 0.7) for right and left thalamus, respectively, compared to 10.9 (SD = 0.9) and 10.7 (SD =
0.9) in control group. The Cr values in the left side of thalamus were significantly higher in IGE
patients (6.7 [SD = 0.8] versus 5.8 [SD = 0.5]); however, there was no difference in right thalamus.
Measurements showed no difference for amounts of Cho between the groups in both sides of
thalamus. The NAA/Cr ratio was 1.48 (SD = 0.14) and 1.48 (SD = 0.16) for right and left thalamus,
respectively, in IGE patients in comparison with 1.83 (SD = 0.2) and 1.86 (SD = 0.26) in controls.
There was no meaningful variation between the NAA/Cho ratio of the right and left thalamus
among the groups.
Conclusion: Thalamic NAA, Cr and NAA/Cr ratio values in IGE patients showed statistical
differences compared to healthy individuals. Evaluating metabolites variations in thalamus using
MRS is suggested for differentiating IGE patients from healthy individuals.
- Full text:3.2020my0841.pdf
