Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 9, 2026
Electromagnetic Source Imaging in Presurgical Evaluation of Children with Drug-Resistant Epilepsy
Published on: September 20, 2024
Increased striatal serotonin synthesis following cortical resection in children with intractable epilepsy
Harry T Chugani1, Csaba Juhász, Diane C Chugani
1Carman and Ann Adams Department of Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Michigan, Wayne State University School of Medicine, Detroit, MI, USA. hchugani@pet.wayne.edu
Background And Purpose:
Serotonin is a major regulator of structural brain plasticity, which may occur following cortical resection in humans. In this study we used positron emission tomography (PET) with alpha[11C]methyl-l-tryptophan (AMT) to evaluate serotonergic alterations in subcortical structures following cortical resection in children with intractable epilepsy.
Methods:
AMT uptake in the thalamus and lentiform nucleus was evaluated postoperatively (1-89 months following resection) in 19 children (mean age: 8.7 years) with a previous cortical resection due to intractable epilepsy. Ten children with partial epilepsy but without resection and seven normal children served as controls.
Results:
There was an increased AMT uptake in the lentiform nucleus ipsilateral to the resection as compared to the contralateral side (mean asymmetry: 4.2+/-3.0%), and the asymmetries were significantly higher than those measured in the control groups (p
Conclusions:
Cortical resection results in a sustained increase of AMT uptake in the lentiform nucleus, suggesting increased serotonin synthesis. Serotonergic activation in the deafferented striatum may play a role in the functional reorganization of cortico-striatal projections in humans.
