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[Non-invasive examinations successfully select patients with medial temporal lobe epilepsy for anterior temporal lobectomy].

We retrospectively analyzed 8 patients with intractable medial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) who underwent the anterior temporal lobectomy with hippocampectomy (ATL) without invasive examinations such as chronic subdural electrode recording. Five patients had a history of febrile convulsion. While all 8 patients had oral automatism, automatism of ipsilateral limbs with dystonic posture of contralateral limbs was demonstrated in 2 patients. Bilateral temporal paroxysmal activities on interictal EEG was observed in 4 patients and all patients had clear ictal onset zone on unilateral anterior temporal region. MRI demonstrated unilateral hippocampal sclerosis in 5 cases. Interictal FDG-PET depicted hypometabolism of the unilateral temporal lobe in all cases, however, ECD-SPECT failed to reveal the hypoperfusion of the unilateral temporal lobe in a case. Postoperatively, 7 cases became seizure free, and one had rare seizure. Non-invasive examinations, especially ictal EEG and concordant FDG-PET findings, in patients with oral automatism in seizure semiology, successfully select patients with MTLE for ATL.

Adolescent↗

Dipole source localization of interictal epileptiform activity in temporal lobe epilepsy with medial temporal lesion.

Dipole sources of interictal epileptiform activities recorded by conventional electroencephalogram (EEG) were estimated using the dipole tracing method. Four cases of temporal lobe epilepsy with medial temporal lesions were studied. Two patients with hippocampal sclerosis, one patient with granulation in the hippocampus and one patient with cavernous angioma were involved in the study. Interictal epileptiform activities were classified into two patterns according to the topography of spikes. They were widespread spikes over the parasagittal electrodes (parasagittal spikes) and restricted spikes at the temporal electrodes (temporal spikes). Dipole sources of parasagittal spikes were localized in the medio-basal temporal lobe with vertically orientated vector moment. Dipole sources of temporal spikes were localized in the medio-basal temporal lobe with horizontally orientated vector moment. Locations of dipoles and directions of vector moments were consistent with topography and polarity of spikes. The difference in the two patterns of interictal epileptiform activities was derived from the difference in the direction of the vector moment of dipole sources. There was no difference in the location of dipole sources. Both the dipole sources and the lesions were localized in the same medio-basal temporal lobe. Dipole tracing was very useful in localizing the dipole sources of interictal epileptiform activities and in understanding the neurophysiological background.

Adult↗

Primary generalized epilepsy and temporal lobe epilepsy: a psychological study using Rorschach tests.

Rorschach tests were performed on patients with primary generalized epilepsy (PGE) and on patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) combined with generalized tonic-clonic convulsions. Each group consisted of 20 cases and the two groups were matched as closely as possible. Patients with PGE were found to be characterized by variable responses, sensitivity, extroversion and undifferentiated tendencies. Patients with TLE are practical but inefficient and constricted in character. Cases not on medication displayed the same character types. On the basis of the above findings, speculation is made concerning the features of neurotic or psychotic PGE patients.

Adult↗

Seizure-related outcome after corticoamygdalohippocampectomy in patients with refractory temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis evaluated by magnetic resonance imaging alone.

OBJECT: The authors conducted a study to assess the efficacy of surgery in patients who underwent magnetic resonance (MR) imaging alone for localization of foci in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). METHODS: One hundred patients (43 men, 57 women) with a clinical diagnosis of TLE were prospectively studied (mean age 28 +/- 9 years [+/- standard deviation {SD}]). All patients underwent high-resolution MR imaging, and in all unilateral mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) was diagnosed by visual inspection. All patients underwent interictal preoperative electroencephalography (EEG) and in 87 patients pre- and 1-year postoperative neuropsychological testing was performed. Both EEG and neuropsychological examinations were conducted in a blinded fashion, and these data were not taken into account during the surgery-related decision-making process. All patients underwent a corticoamygdalohippocampectomy at the side of the MTS. Surgery-related outcome was rated as Class I (seizure free or simple partial seizures only) or Class II (> or = 90% improvement). The follow-up period ranged from 18 to 48 months (mean 24 +/- 5 months [+/-SD]). No patient underwent prolonged video-EEG monitoring, Wada testing, positron emission tomography, or single-photon emission computerized tomography. In eighty-nine patients Class I results were achieved, and 11 Class II results were achieved postoperatively. There was no mortality in this series. Except for in two patients who underwent surgery in the dominant temporal lobe, there was no postoperatively cognitive decline. In these two patients verbal memory decline occurred, which was associated with posterior temporal cortical damage, demonstrated postoperatively on MR imaging. Twenty-five percent of the patients experienced improved memory function related to the nonoperated side, and 54% experienced a 10% gain in general intelligence quotient status. CONCLUSIONS: In patients with clinically suspected TLE, MR imaging alone is able to localize temporal lobe foci correctly. Ruling out pseudoseizures remains the only indication for prolonged video-EEG recordings in this group of patients.

Adult↗

Endocrine abnormalities in human temporal lobe epilepsy.

Patients with temporal lobe epilepsy secrete ACTH at higher rates and in greater amounts than normal subjects. Temporal lobectomy restores ACTH secretion to normal amounts and rates. The ACTH secretion in temporal lobe epilepsy is independent of anticonvulsant drug effect and seizure frequency. Electrical stimulation of medial temporal lobe structures in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy affected ACTH secretion in a manner consistent with the hypothesis that ACTH secretion is regulated by tonic inhibition. A defect in the excitatory and/or inhibitory components of this regulatory process appears to exist in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Diagnosis and treatment of temporal lobe epilepsy.

Of the 1,200,000 Americans with partial epilepsy, temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) occurs in more than 400,000. Temporal lobe seizures are usually stereotypic in their symptoms and duration. A typical sequence is an aura followed by arrest of motor behavior, blank stare, and automatisms. Patients with TLE often show impairments in attention, memory, mental processing speed, executive functions, mood, personality, and drive-related behaviors. Interictal depression occurs in approximately one third of TLE patients. TLE is diagnosed by a history of characteristic partial seizure symptoms. The diagnosis is confirmed by the capture of a typical episode during an electroencephalogram (EEG) or video-EEG, with epileptiform activity over one or both temporal regions. Video-EEG monitoring has revolutionized diagnosis and should be considered in patients in whom diagnosis is uncertain. TLE is treated with medications, resective surgery, and vagus nerve stimulation. Epilepsy surgery should be considered in all patients with refractory partial epilepsy.

Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe↗

The measurement of emotional concepts in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy.

Eleven temporal lobe epileptics, implanted with depth electrodes, 21 post-lobectomy epileptics, and 24 orthopedic controls were given a semantic differential test, which measured responses along 4 scales (evaluative, potency, activity, and danger) of 18 emotional and 1 non-emotional concepts. Results showed that post-lobectomy females thought of themselves as more dangerous than did orthopedic control females. Both post-lobectomy and implantation patients found the anger-hostility and fear-anxiety concepts less bad, potent, active, and dangerous than did the orthopedic controls. The post-lobectomy and implantation patients found the concept "sexual intercourse" and other non-sexual love-related concepts to be worse and more dangerous, but less potent and active than did the orthopedic controls.

Adolescent↗

Periventricular nodular heterotopia and intractable temporal lobe epilepsy: poor outcome after temporal lobe resection.

We describe 5 women and 5 men with periventricular nodular heterotopia and electroclinical features suggestive of temporal lobe epilepsy, who were surgically treated for control of medically refractory seizures. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia in 7 of the 10 patients. Because of the lack of clear localization, 6 patients were studied with intracranial depth electrode recordings. Seizures were of hippocampal onset (3 patients), regional temporal lobe onset (2 patients), or occipital-temporal onset (1 patient). Anterior temporal lobectomy was performed in 6 patients; selective amygdalohippocampectomy, in 1; and anterior temporal lobectomy plus resection of the heterotopic tissue, in 3. None of the 9 patients followed for more than 12 months postoperatively were seizure free. Two patients were initially seizure free for approximately 18 months, but then seizures recurred. One patient had a major reduction in seizure frequency at a 39-month follow-up after most of the unilateral heterotopic tissue was included in the temporal resection. Temporal resection did not lead to a long-term favorable outcome in this group of patients with periventricular nodular heterotopia and epileptogenic discharges involving the temporal lobe. This suggests a more widespread disorder with epileptogenic activity possibly originating in or near the heterotopic tissue. The clinical and electrographic features of periventricular nodular heterotopia pointing to temporal lobe origin are misleading and temporal resection does not result in long-term cessation of seizures.

Adult↗

"Magnetic resonance imaging negative positron emission tomography positive" temporal lobe epilepsy: FDG-PET pattern differs from mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

PURPOSE: Some patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) lack evidence of hippocampal sclerosis (HS) on MRI (HS-ve). We hypothesized that this group would have a different pattern of 2-deoxy-2-[F-18]fluoro-D-glucose (FDG)-positron emission tomography (PET) hypometabolism than typical mesial TLE/HS patients with evidence of hippocampal atrophy on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) (HS+ve), with a lateral temporal neocortical rather than mesial focus. PROCEDURES: Thirty consecutive HS-ve patients and 30 age- and sex-matched HS+ve patients with well-lateralized EEG were identified. FDG-PET was performed on 28 HS-ve patients and 24 HS+ve patients. Both groups were compared using statistical parametric mapping (SPM), directly and with FDG-PET from 20 healthy controls. RESULTS: Both groups showed lateralized temporal hypometabolism compared to controls. In HS+ve, this was antero-infero-mesial (T = 17.13); in HS-ve the main clustering was inferolateral (T = 17.63). When directly compared, HS+ve had greater hypometabolism inmesial temporal/hippocampal regions (T = 4.86); HS-ve had greater inferolateral temporal hypometabolism (T = 4.18). CONCLUSIONS: These data support the hypothesis that focal hypometabolism involves primarily lateal neocortical rather than mesial temporal structures in 'MRI-negative PET-positive TLE.'

Adult↗

Magnetic resonance imaging in temporal lobe epilepsy: usefulness for the etiological diagnosis of temporal lobe epilepsy.

With improvement in magnetic resonance (MR) imaging techniques, the ability to identify lesions responsible for temporal lobe epilepsy has increased. MR imaging has also enabled the in vivo diagnosis of hippocampal sclerosis. Brain tumors are responsible for 2-4% of epilepsies in adult population and 10-20% of medically intractable epilepsy. The sensitivity of MR imaging in the diagnosis of tumors and other lesions of the temporal lobe (vascular malformations, etc.) is around 90%. Both hippocampal sclerosis and other temporal lobe lesions are amenable to surgical therapy with excellent postsurgical seizure outcome. In this article, we characterize and underline distinguishing features of the different pathological entities. We also suggest an approach to reviewing the MR images of an epileptic patient.

Brain↗

Reproductive function in temporal lobe epilepsy: the effect of temporal lobectomy.

We have examined sexual and reproductive changes in 25 patients (11 men and 14 women; mean follow-up 13 years) with temporal lobe epilepsy who underwent temporal lobectomy. Five men and two women had sexual dysfunction preoperatively, in particular, decreased libido. This improved after temporal lobectomy in three of these patients. One woman developed a partial Klüver-Bucy syndrome. Reproductive dysfunction was present in one man (oligospermia) and in ten women (four had the onset of seizures either at pregnancy or menarche; four had increased frequency of seizures during menarche or pregnancy, and two had amenorrhea). The man fathered two children post-operatively, and an appreciable improvement in both the seizure activity and the reproductive dysfunction was noted in the majority of the women.

Adolescent↗

Bilateral reductions of hippocampal volume, glucose metabolism, and wada hemispheric memory performance are related to the duration of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

In refractory temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) temporal lobe structures and functions are continuously or intermittently affected by abnormal brain electrical events, noxious neurochemical agents, and metabolic disturbances. There is conflicting evidence regarding the relationship between the duration of refractory mesial TLE and quantitative measures of temporal lobe functions and volumes of the hippocampi. Twenty patients (aged 28 +/- 7 years, 14 males) with an initial precipitating injury before the age of 5 years were subjected to high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging, fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose positron-emission tomography (PET), and the Wada test. We investigated whether the duration of unilateral refractory TLE (12 left, 8 right) affects hippocampal volume, glucose metabolism, or Wada hemispheric memory performance. Ipsilateral to the epileptogenic zone the hippocampal volume, metabolism, and Wada hemispheric memory performance were reduced compared to the corresponding contralateral measures. The duration of epilepsy controlled for age at investigation, side of seizure origin, underlying cause, and sex were negatively correlated with ipsi- and contralateral hippocampal volume, hippocampal metabolism, and Wada hemispheric memory performance. Moreover, ipsilateral Wada hemispheric memory performance and contralateral hippocampal glucose metabolism were correlated with the frequency of habitual seizures. Refractory TLE seems to be associated with a slow but ongoing bilateral temporal lobe damage. These cross-sectional results require verification by longitudinal studies carried out over a period of more than two decades.

Adolescent↗

[Prognostic factors in temporal lobe epilepsy surgery].

INTRODUCTION: Temporal lobe epilepsy surgery represents the majority of surgical interventions in patients with refractory epilepsy. In consequence, knowledge of prognostic factors in this type of epilepsy surgery is of major importance. The objective of this study is to study series of prognostic factors in a group of patients who underwent temporal lobe epilepsy surgery and to correlate Engel's Classification of Postoperative Outcome, now used in most epilepsy centers, and the Proposal for New Classification in regards to Epileptic Seizures Following Epilepsy Surgery of the International League Against Epilepsy (ILAE). METHODS: We analyzed 41 consecutive patients who underwent temporal lobe epilepsy surgery in the Epilepsy Surgery Program of the Epilepsy Unit in the Fundación Jiménez Díaz. The following prognostic factors were analyzed: age at surgery, time since the first seizure (excluding febrile seizures), risk factors for the development of epilepsy, presence of simple partial seizures, presurgical complex partial seizure frequency, findings in brain magnetic resonance imaging, interictal and ictal electroencephalogram, neuropsychological assessment, Wada test and neuropathological study of the surgical specimen. Two outcome classifications were used: Engel's classification of postoperative outcome and the proposal for a new classification of outcome in regards to epileptic seizures following epilepsy surgery of the ILAE. Statistical analysis was performed using non-parametric tests. RESULTS: The presence of temporal unilateral interictal epileptiform activity and the presence of less than 20 seizures complex partial seizures per month before surgery were associated with a better prognosis using both classifications. The electronencephalographic unilateral temporal ictal onset recording was associated with a better prognosis using Engel's classification but not ILAE's outcome classification. The presence of febrile seizures was associated with a better prognosis in regards to ILAE's outcome classification but not in regards to Engel's classification. The remaining factors were not associated with outcome. CONCLUSIONS: The following factors were associated with a good prognosis: presence of unilateral temporal interictal epileptiform activity, presurgery seizure frequency below 20 complex partial seizures per month, unilateral temporal ictal onset, and presence of febrile seizures. A good correlation was found between both outcome classifications in regards to most of the analyzed prognostic factors.

Adult↗

Current role of EEG in the presurgical evaluation of temporal lobe epilepsy patients.

Despite all new developments in methodologies to investigate epileptic patients, EEG continues to play a central and irreplaceable role in clinical epileptology, especially in the presurgical evaluation of medically intractable epilepsies. Temporal lobe epilepsy is the most prevalent type of epileptic syndrome, and also the most frequent type of surgically treatable epilepsy. Non-invasive and invasive EEG methodologies are essential in the selection of surgical candidates. More recently there has been a trend towards the use of exclusively noninvasive methodologies. In this chapter we describe our current view on the role of diverse EEG methodologies in the presurgical evaluation of mesial temporal lobe epilepsies, addressing, in particular, the role of foramen ovale electrodes which, probably, needs to be reassessed in view of the unprecedented evolution of MRI.

Electrodes↗

Temporal lobe epilepsy caused by mesial temporal sclerosis and temporal neocortical lesions. A clinical and electroencephalographic study of 46 pathologically proven cases.

This study aims to determine whether there are important clinico-electrical differences between patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) secondary to mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) and those with TLE secondary to a discrete temporal neocortical lesion (NL). The case histories, interictal EEG, seizure semiology, ictal EEG and postoperative outcome of 46 pathologically proven patients (31 MTS and 15 NL) were compared. A history of febrile convulsions (FC) was more common in MTS patients (58% versus 26%, P < 0.05), as was a history of a significant cerebral event at < 4 years of age (22% versus 0%, P < 0.05). There were no statistically significant differences in the incidence or nature of auras. No statistically significant differences between the groups were found in the interictal-EEG. With ictal semiology dystonic posturing occurred more frequently in MTS patients (mean 52% versus 26%, P < 0.05). Facial grimacing/ twitching occurred earlier in the seizures of NL patients (median 19 s versus 35 s, P < 0.05). There was an increased frequency of fast rhythmic sharp waves (> 4 Hz) in the ictal-EEG of MTS patients (mean 81% versus 60%, P = 0.05). The patients with NL developed bilateral ictal EEG changes more often (mean 55% versus 26%, P < 0.05) and more rapidly (mean 23 s versus 74 s, P < 0.005). The onset of ictal EEG seizure activity was bilateral more often in patients with NL (20% versus 4%, P < 0.005). There were no significant differences between the two groups for any of the video-EEG features, in terms of whether or not the feature occurred at least once in an individual patients. There was a tendency for MTS patients to have a higher seizure-free postsurgical outcome (87% versus 60%, P = 0.057). However, all the NL patients who were not free of seizures had had an incomplete lesion resection. We conclude that there are a number of clinico-electrical differences between patients with mesial TLE (MTLE) and patients with neocortical TLE (NCTLE), but that none of these are sufficient to allow a distinction to be made in an individual patient.

Adolescent↗

Recurrent seizures and hippocampal sclerosis following intrahippocampal kainate injection in adult mice: electroencephalography, histopathology and synaptic reorganization similar to mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy is characterized by hippocampal seizures associated with pyramidal cell loss in the hippocampus and dispersion of dentate gyrus granule cells. A similar histological pattern was recently described in a model of extensive neuroplasticity in adult mice after injection of kainate into the dorsal hippocampus [Suzuki et al. (1995) Neuroscience 64, 665-674]. The aim of the present study was to determine whether (i) recurrent seizures develop in mice after intrahippocampal injection of kainate, and (ii) the electroencephalographic, histopathological and behavioural changes in such mice are similar to those in human mesial temporal lobe epilepsy. Adult mice receiving a unilateral injection of kainate (0.2 microg; 50 nl) or saline into the dorsal hippocampus displayed recurrent paroxysmal discharges on the electroencephalographic recordings associated with immobility, staring and, occasionally, clonic components. These seizures started immediately after kainate injection and recurrid for up to eight months. Epileptiform activities occurred most often during sleep but occasionally while awake. The pattern of seizures did not change over time nor did they secondarily generalize. Glucose metabolic changes assessed by [14C]2-deoxyglucose autoradiography were restricted to the ipsilateral hippocampus for 30 days, but had spread to the thalamus by 120 days after kainate. Ipsilateral cell loss was prominent in hippocampal pyramidal cells and hilar neurons. An unusual pattern of progressive enlargement of the dentate gyrus was observed with a marked radial dispersion of the granule cells associated with reactive astrocytes. Mossy fibre sprouting occurred both in the supragranular molecular layer and infrapyramidal stratum oriens layer of CA3. The expression of the embryonic form of the neural cell adhesion molecule coincided over time with granule cell dispersion. Our data describe the first histological, electrophysiological and behavioural evidence suggesting that discrete excitotoxic lesions of the hippocampus in mice can be used as an isomorphic model of mesial temporal lobe epilepsy.

Animals↗

Extrahippocampal temporal lobe atrophy in temporal lobe epilepsy and mesial temporal sclerosis.

Visual inspection and volumetric analysis of MRIs allow mesial temporal sclerosis (MTS) to be reliably identified in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. The presence of unilateral MTS ipsilateral to the side of habitual seizure onset is an indicator for the prognosis of good outcome after temporal lobe resection. There is evidence to suggest that widespread temporal lobe pathology, leading to atrophy, may be associated with MTS and such abnormal tissue may play an important role in epileptogenesis. We have analysed quantitatively the volumes of the mesial and lateral temporal lobe substructures in MRIs from 62 patients with intractable mesial temporal lobe epilepsy and in 20 normal controls. We found significant atrophy in these structures in patients, ranging from 8.3 to 18.4% compared with controls. The degree of atrophy in the extrahippocampal structures correlated with the degree of hippocampal atrophy, suggesting that a common process may be responsible. There was no correlation between the degree of atrophy in the extrahippocampal structures and the duration of epilepsy, a history of febrile convulsions or of generalized seizures. These findings suggest that there may be widespread pathological abnormalities in the temporal lobe associated with MTS. The importance of extrahippocampal atrophy to surgical outcome and whether it occurs in temporal lobe epilepsy not associated with MTS remain to be investigated.

Adult↗