Hannoun Salem, Abi Fadel Sandra, Mousawi Zahraa, Al-Arab Natally, Beydoun Ahmad, Nasreddine Wassim, Hourani Roula
Medical Imaging Sciences Program, Division of Health Professions, Faculty of Health Sciences, American University of Beirut, Beirut, Lebanon.
Department of Radiology & Biomedical Imaging, Neuroradiology section, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, CT, USA.
Sci Rep. 2025 Sep 1;15(1):32157. doi: 10.1038/s41598-025-02003-0.
Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) is a complex epilepsy syndrome with various subtypes that appear normal on conventional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). However, advanced quantitative MRI techniques have revealed subtle structural abnormalities. This study aims to identify specific cerebral regions with structural and volumetric alterations in IGE patients. A retrospective study was conducted on 38 IGE patients and 38 age and sex-matched healthy control subjects. MRI images were processed and segmented semi-automatically to extract volumes of cortical and subcortical brain regions. Statistical analysis was performed to compare volumes between IGE patients and controls. IGE patients exhibited significantly increased volumes in the precuneus (p = 0.002), and the pallidum (p < 0.001) compared to control subjects. No significant differences were observed in other regions, such as the precentral gyrus and frontal gyri. This study highlights conflicting results in the literature regarding radiologic volumetric data in IGE. While our findings imply the potential utility of incorporating volumetric analysis in the radiologic diagnosis of IGE patients to enhance targeted treatment approaches, it is important to exercise caution in interpreting these results, especially since these are primarily based on group-wise comparison. The increased volumes of the precuneus and pallidum in IGE patients suggest possible diagnostic implications. However, the extent of their clinical significance necessitates further investigation. Further research should investigate the clinical significance of these volumetric alterations and their potential role in guiding personalized treatment strategies for IGE patients.
特发性全身性癫痫（IGE）是一种复杂的癫痫综合征，有多种亚型，在传统磁共振成像（MRI）上表现正常。然而，先进的定量MRI技术已揭示出细微的结构异常。本研究旨在确定IGE患者中存在结构和体积改变的特定脑区。对38例IGE患者和38例年龄及性别匹配的健康对照者进行了一项回顾性研究。对MRI图像进行半自动处理和分割，以提取皮质和皮质下脑区的体积。进行统计分析以比较IGE患者和对照组之间的体积。与对照者相比，IGE患者的楔前叶（p = 0.002）和苍白球（p < 0.001）体积显著增加。在其他区域，如中央前回和额回，未观察到显著差异。本研究突出了文献中关于IGE放射学体积数据的相互矛盾的结果。虽然我们的研究结果表明在IGE患者的放射学诊断中纳入体积分析以加强靶向治疗方法可能有用，但在解释这些结果时要谨慎，特别是因为这些结果主要基于组间比较。IGE患者楔前叶和苍白球体积增加提示可能的诊断意义。然而，它们的临床意义程度需要进一步研究。进一步的研究应调查这些体积改变的临床意义及其在指导IGE患者个性化治疗策略中的潜在作用。
