Alteration of Monoamine Receptor Activity and Glucose Metabolism in Pediatric Patients with Anticonvulsant-Induced Cognitive Impairment

A landmark study from the Institute of Medicine reported that the assessment of cognitive difficulties in children with epilepsy is timely and imperative. Anticonvulsant-induced cognitive impairment could influence the quality of life more than seizure itself in patients. Although the monoaminergic system is involved in the regulation of cognitive process, its role in anticonvulsant-induced cognitive impairment remains unclear. Methods: To explore in vivo monoamine receptor binding activity in patients with anticonvulsant-induced cognitive impairment, each patient underwent PET imaging with both monoamine receptor binding agent 11C-N-methylspiperone and glucose metabolic agent 18F-FDG. Tests of intelligence quotient (IQ), including verbal IQ (VIQ), performance IQ (PIQ), and full-scale IQ (FSIQ), were performed in each patient. Results: Compared with the patients with monotherapy, patients with polytherapy had significantly lower VIQ, PIQ, and FSIQ (P 0.05). Conclusion: Monoamine receptor PET imaging could be a promising in vivo imaging biomarker for mapping anticonvulsant-induced cognitive impairment.