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Updated: Feb 3, 2026
Anteromesial Temporal Lobectomy for Medically Intractable Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: An Operative Study
Published on: August 15, 2025
Abnormal temporal lobe morphology in asymptomatic relatives of patients with hippocampal sclerosis: A replication
Siti Nurbaya Yaakub1, Gareth J Barker2, Sarah J Carr1
1Department of Basic & Clinical Neuroscience, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology & Neuroscience, King's College London, London, UK.
Abstract:
We investigated gray and white matter morphology in patients with mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE+HS) and first-degree asymptomatic relatives of patients with mTLE+HS. Using T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), we sought to replicate previously reported findings of structural surface abnormalities of the anterior temporal lobe in asymptomatic relatives of patients with mTLE+HS in an independent cohort. We performed whole-brain MRI in 19 patients with mTLE+HS, 14 first-degree asymptomatic relatives of mTLE+HS patients, and 32 healthy control participants. Structural alterations in patients and relatives compared to controls were assessed using automated hippocampal volumetry and cortical surface-based morphometry. We replicated previously reported cortical surface area contractions in the ipsilateral anterior temporal lobe in both patients and relatives compared to healthy controls, with asymptomatic relatives showing similar but less extensive changes than patients. These findings suggest morphologic abnormality in asymptomatic relatives of mTLE+HS patients, suggesting an inherited brain structure endophenotype.
Insights
Researchers studied brain structure in mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE+HS) patients and their relatives. Findings reveal inherited brain differences in relatives, suggesting a shared genetic predisposition for mTLE+HS.
Area of Science:
- Neuroimaging
- Epilepsy Research
- Genetics
Background:
- Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (mTLE+HS) is a common epilepsy syndrome.
- Previous studies suggested structural brain abnormalities in relatives of mTLE+HS patients.
- Replication in an independent cohort is crucial for validating these findings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate gray and white matter morphology in mTLE+HS patients and their first-degree asymptomatic relatives.
- To replicate findings of anterior temporal lobe structural abnormalities in asymptomatic relatives.
- To explore the potential for an inherited brain structure endophenotype in mTLE+HS.
Main Methods:
- Whole-brain T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was performed.
- Participants included 19 mTLE+HS patients, 14 asymptomatic relatives, and 32 healthy controls.
- Automated hippocampal volumetry and cortical surface-based morphometry were used for structural analysis.
Main Results:
- Cortical surface area contractions were replicated in the ipsilateral anterior temporal lobe for both mTLE+HS patients and relatives compared to controls.
- Asymptomatic relatives exhibited similar, yet less extensive, morphologic changes than patients.
- These findings indicate a shared structural abnormality between patients and their relatives.
Conclusions:
- Morphologic abnormalities are present in asymptomatic relatives of mTLE+HS patients.
- These findings support the hypothesis of an inherited brain structure endophenotype in mTLE+HS.
- This suggests a potential genetic contribution to the underlying pathophysiology of mTLE+HS.
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