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Cerebellar, limbic, and midbrain volume alterations in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy

Allen, LA; Vos, SB; Kumar, R; Ogren, JA; Harper, RK; Winston, GP; Balestrini, S; ... Diehl, B; + view all (2019) Cerebellar, limbic, and midbrain volume alterations in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy. Epilepsia , 60 (4) pp. 718-729. 10.1111/epi.14689. Green open access

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Abstract

OBJECTIVE: The processes underlying sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) remain elusive, but centrally mediated cardiovascular or respiratory collapse is suspected. Volume changes in brain areas mediating recovery from extreme cardiorespiratory challenges may indicate failure mechanisms and allow prospective identification of SUDEP risk. METHODS: We retrospectively imaged SUDEP cases (n = 25), patients comparable for age, sex, epilepsy syndrome, localization, and disease duration who were high-risk (n = 25) or low-risk (n = 23), and age- and sex-matched healthy controls (n = 25) with identical high-resolution T1-weighted scans. Regional gray matter volume, determined by voxel-based morphometry, and segmentation-derived structure sizes were compared across groups, controlling for total intracranial volume, age, and sex. RESULTS: Substantial bilateral gray matter loss appeared in SUDEP cases in the medial and lateral cerebellum. This was less prominent in high-risk subjects and absent in low-risk subjects. The periaqueductal gray, left posterior and medial thalamus, left hippocampus, and bilateral posterior cingulate also showed volume loss in SUDEP. High-risk subjects showed left thalamic volume reductions to a lesser extent. Bilateral amygdala, entorhinal, and parahippocampal volumes increased in SUDEP and high-risk patients, with the subcallosal cortex enlarged in SUDEP only. Disease duration correlated negatively with parahippocampal volume. Volumes of the bilateral anterior insula and midbrain in SUDEP cases were larger the closer to SUDEP from magnetic resonance imaging. SIGNIFICANCE: SUDEP victims show significant tissue loss in areas essential for cardiorespiratory recovery and enhanced volumes in areas that trigger hypotension or impede respiratory patterning. Those changes may shed light on SUDEP pathogenesis and prospectively detect patterns identifying those at risk.

Type: Article
Title: Cerebellar, limbic, and midbrain volume alterations in sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
Location: United States
Open access status: An open access version is available from UCL Discovery
DOI: 10.1111/epi.14689
Publisher version: https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.14689
Language: English
Additional information: This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The images or other third party material in this article are included in the article’s Creative Commons license, unless indicated otherwise in the credit line; if the material is not included under the Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission from the license holder to reproduce the material. To view a copy of this license, visit http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
Keywords: Cerebellum, limbic, magnetic resonance imaging, midbrain, sudden unexpected death in epilepsy
UCL classification: UCL
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > School of Life and Medical Sciences > Faculty of Brain Sciences > UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology > Clinical and Experimental Epilepsy
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science
UCL > Provost and Vice Provost Offices > UCL BEAMS > Faculty of Engineering Science > Dept of Computer Science
URI: https://discovery.ucl.ac.uk/id/eprint/10070571
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