1. Exploring the relationship between amygdala subnuclei volumes and cognitive performance in left-lateralized temporal lobe epilepsy with and without hippocampal sclerosis.
- Author
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Ballerini A, Talami F, Molinari MA, Micalizzi E, Scolastico S, Biagioli N, Orlandi N, Pugnaghi M, Giovannini G, Meletti S, and Vaudano AE
- Subjects
- Humans, Magnetic Resonance Imaging methods, Amygdala diagnostic imaging, Amygdala pathology, Hippocampus diagnostic imaging, Hippocampus pathology, Cognition, Atrophy pathology, Sclerosis pathology, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe complications, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe diagnostic imaging, Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe pathology, Hippocampal Sclerosis
- Abstract
Cognitive disruption is a debilitating comorbidity in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE). Despite recent advances, the amygdala is often neglected in studies that explore cognition in TLE. Amygdala subnuclei are differently engaged in TLE with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS) compared to non-lesional TLE (TLE-MRIneg), with predominant atrophy in the first and increased volume in the latter. Herein, we aim to explore the relationship between the volumes of the amygdala and its substructures with respect to cognitive performances in a population of left-lateralized TLE with and without HS. Twenty-nine TLEs were recruited (14 TLE-HS; 15 TLE-MRIneg). After investigating the differences in the subcortical amygdalae and hippocampal volumes compared to a matched healthy control population, we explored the associations between the subnuclei of the amygdala and the hippocampal subfields with the cognitive scores in TLE patients, according to their etiology. In TLE-HS, a reduced volume of the basolateral and cortical amygdala complexes joined with whole hippocampal atrophy, was related to poorer scores in verbal memory tasks, while in TLE-MRIneg, poorer performances in attention and processing speed tasks were associated with a generalized amygdala enlargement, particularly of the basolateral and central complexes. The present findings extend our knowledge of amygdala involvement in cognition and suggest structural amygdala abnormalities as useful disease biomarkers in TLE., Competing Interests: Declaration of Competing Interest The authors declare the following financial interests/personal relationships which may be considered as potential competing interests: S. Meletti received research grant support from the Ministry of Health (MOH), the non-profit organization Foundation “Fondazione Cassa di Risparmio di Modena - FCRM”; he has received personal compensation as scientific advisory board member for UCB and EISAI. A.E. Vaudano received personal compensation as scientific advisory board member for Angelini Pharma. None of the authors has any conflict of interest to disclose., (Copyright © 2023 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)
- Published
- 2023
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