Abstracts

Rationale: Craniofacial trauma (CFT) have been associated with seizure activity in humans and baboons. While spontaneous seizures are usually sporadic in the epileptic baboon, CFT may provide a marker for epilepsy. In this study, we evaluate the type, location and clinical significance of CFT observed in baboons housed at the Texas Biomedical Research Institute (San Antonio, Texas). Methods: CFT was categorized according to somatotopic location, propensity to recur, and association with witnessed seizures or abnormal electroencephalographic (EEG) findings. We divided the baboons with CFT into two groups, one with a history of witnessed seizures (CFT/Sz, N=176), the other without a seizure history (CFT/ONLY; N=515). Chi-square analyses were used to evaluate the association of somatotopic location of craniofacial injuries with demographic variables, seizures and EEG findings. Results: In CFT/Sz baboons, 568 injuries were identified, including periorbital injuries (57%), scalp injuries (27%), muzzle injuries (12%), and facial injuries (4%). Multiple facial areas and body parts were affected in 21 baboons, including fractured long bones of the extremities and skull fractures. The most common CFT injuries associated with seizures were periorbital or affecting the scalp (43% for each region). CFT injuries began close to the time of the first seizure. EEG abnormalities included interictal epileptic discharges (IEDs) in 71% and photosensitivity in 39%. CFT/ONLY baboons tended to have later onset of CFT, less frequent recurrences, but more muzzle and tooth injuries than CFT/Sz animals. IEDs (48%) and photosensitivity (18%) were less prevalent in the CFT/ONLY group. In both groups muzzle injuries had the lowest association with EEG abnormalities. Conclusions: Periorbital and head injuries have a high association with clinical seizures and EEG abnormalities and may be more specific markers for epilepsy. CFT injuries should prompt further diagnostic testing to characterize the risk for seizures and may be used for genetic studies. It is important to evaluate the prevalence of and location of CFT in baboons living in the wild as well as in human populations.