Magnetic resonance imaging in epilepsy: a controlled study

The authors present a study of 50 patients with epilepsy and 14 healthy controls using a standardized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technique. Gross inspection of MRI scans identified major cerebral pathology and supplemented computerized tomography (CT) data. With further analysis of spin-lattice (T1) relaxation times, significant differences from controls emerged in epilepsy patients, even with normal CT scans, particularly in the temporal lobes. Patients with generalized seizures had increased T1 values in the thalamus. Also prolonged T1 in patients with focal seizures was noted on the ipsilateral side. These results of MRI imaging are discussed in relation to other imaging modalities in epilepsy. Further, the potential benefit of MRI in localization of seizure focus and specific pathophysiological mechanisms in seizure disorders are considered.