Cortical thickness abnormalities associated with depressive symptoms in temporal lobe epilepsy.

Publication Type Academic Article
Authors Butler T, Blackmon K, McDonald C, Carlson C, Barr W, Devinsky O, Kuzniecky R, DuBois J, French J, Halgren E, Thesen T
Journal Epilepsy Behav
Volume 23
Issue 1
Pagination 64-7
Date Published 11/17/2011
ISSN 1525-5069
Keywords Cerebral Cortex, Depression, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe
Abstract Depression in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is highly prevalent and carries significant morbidity and mortality. Its neural basis is poorly understood. We used quantitative, surface-based MRI analysis to correlate brain morphometry with severity of depressive symptoms in 38 patients with TLE and 45 controls. Increasing severity of depressive symptoms was associated with orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) thinning in controls, but with OFC thickening in TLE patients. These results demonstrate distinct neuroanatomical substrates for depression with and without TLE, and suggest a unique role for OFC, a limbic region for emotional processing strongly interconnected with medial temporal structures, in TLE-related depressive symptoms.
DOI 10.1016/j.yebeh.2011.10.001
PubMed ID 22099527
PubMed Central ID PMC3259282
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