Abstracts

Rationale: Previous reports suggest that epileptic discharges (ED) shift the brain temperature by altering cerebral metabolism and blood flow in an experimental animal. Recently, brain temperature can be measured non-invasively using proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS). The brain temperature measurement can be an alternative method for estimation of epileptic foci. In this study, we investigated this hypothesis in intractable focal epilepsy patients. Methods: A total of 6 patients who had an epileptogenic lesion in MRI and experienced at least one seizure per a day were assigned in this study between May 2015 and April 2016. Median age at MRS was 2 years (3 months - 10 years). ROIs (region of interest) for temperature measurement were set at a MRI lesion (disease side) and at anatomically homologous area in the opposite hemisphere (control side). The brain temperature was estimated from the difference of resonance frequency between water and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA), i.e. the water peak is temperature dependent, but the NAA peak is not. The difference of temperature between the disease side and the control side was analyzed statistically. Results: The brain temperature was 36.9 0.6 ? (mean SD) in the disease side and 36.0 1.0 ? in the control side (p < 0.01, Student t test). Conclusions: The brain temperature was elevated in MRI lesion in patients with frequent seizures. The brain temperature measurement with 1H-MRS may possibly be useful for estimation of epileptic foci. Funding: This study was supported in part by Intramural Research Grant (28-4); Clinical Research for Diagnostic and Therapeutic Innovations in Developmental Disorders for Neurological and Psychiatric Disorders of National Center of Neurology and Psychiatry.