Corpus callosum thickness: A predictive factor for the first drug efficiency of self-limited epilepsy with...

To investigate the existence of a possible linkage between the thickness of corpus callosum (CC) regions and the first antiepileptic drug response in patients with Selects.

CC thickness of 68 patients with Selects and 42 healthy controls between 4 and 12 years of age were measured using brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Clinical and EEG features of newly diagnosed Selects patients were recorded. Patients were divided into two groups: good-response (patients without seizures within 24 weeks) and poor-response (patients with ≥ 1 seizure within 24 weeks). Thickness of CC was compared between patients (good-response and poor-response groups).and healthy controls.

The thicknesses of genu and isthmus were significantly reduced in the Selects group than healthy controls. Isthmus and splenium were significantly thinner in poor responders than those in the good-response group (p = 0.005 and p < 0.001, respectively). The total number of seizures was negatively correlated with the thickness of the body, isthmus, and splenium (p < 0.001). There was no significant difference in CC thickness of the children with and without electrical status epilepticus in sleep (ESES). The thickness of the isthmus and splenium were significantly thinner in patients receiving ≥ 2 antiepileptic drugs (p = 0.002 and p = 0.001, respectively).

Our study highlights the notable differences in areas of CC in Selects patients. These changes may help uncover the underlying cause of seizure recurrence and antiepileptic drug (AED) response. Different thinner parts of CC may be a protective mechanism to prevent seizure spread to other brain regions. CC thickness can be used as a new radiologic biomarker for predicting first AED response and seizure recurrence in Selects patients.