RT Journal Article
SR Electronic
T1 Cognitive and metabolic correlates of emotional vulnerability in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy
JF Journal of Neurology, Neurosurgery & Psychiatry
JO J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry
FD BMJ Publishing Group Ltd
SP 522
OP 528
DO 10.1136/jnnp-2011-301219
VO 83
IS 5
A1 Laura Lanteaume
A1 Eric Guedj
A1 Mireille Bastien-Toniazzo
A1 Audrey Magalahaes
A1 Olivier Mundler
A1 Fabrice Bartolomei
YR 2012
UL http://jnnp.bmj.com/content/83/5/522.abstract
AB Background Recent investigations have suggested that the occurrence of epileptic seizures is not completely random. In particular, various types of psychological changes or life events may act as triggering factors.Objective To identify a possible link between self-perception of the impact of affective precipitants, cognitive responses modulated by aversive information and brain metabolic modifications in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).Methods The extent to which seizures were elicited or not by emotional precipitants was estimated using a self-reported scale, allowing distinction of two groups: ‘Emo-TLE’ group (patients reporting to have seizures triggered by emotional events) and ‘Other-TLE’ group, which were compared with healthy individuals (‘control’ group). Attentional biases were investigated using the probe detection paradigm, using negative and neutral stimuli. Interictal brain metabolism was studied using FDG-PET, and comparison was made between controls, Emo-TLE and Other-TLE groups.Results Patients with emotional vulnerability (Emo-TLE) disclosed specific attentional biases towards negative stimuli compared with the Other-TLE and control groups. Patients with Emo-TLE also exhibited specific hypometabolism in the anterior temporal lobe, including amygdala and hippocampus. The degree of attentional biases correlated with decreased metabolism in these regions.Conclusions This investigation shows that the impact of affective events is the result of self-perception and also that it might be determined by specific cognitive and brain metabolic modifications in TLE.