Glymphatic System Activity and Brain Morphology in Patients With Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures

Overview

Journal Cureus

Specialty Biomedical Engineering

Date 2024 Feb 27

PMID 38410305

Authors

Miho Ota

Daichi Sone

Yoko Shigemoto

Yukio Kimura

Hiroshi Matsuda

Noriko Sato

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

Background: To clarify the neural correlates underlying psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES), we compared glymphatic system activity between patients with PNES and healthy participants using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI)-analysis along the perivascular space (ALPS) method.

Methods: The DTI scans were acquired from 16 patients with PNES and 25 healthy participants. We computed the DTI-ALPS index as an index of glymphatic system function and estimated the disease-related changes in the DTI-ALPS index and brain structures in PNES patients.

Results: There were no significant differences in the DTI-ALPS index between patients with PNES and healthy participants. On the other hand, patients with PNES had decreased fractional anisotropy values in the bilateral posterior cingula, a higher mean diffusivity value around the left insula, and a lower gray matter volume in the bilateral amygdalae compared with healthy participants.

Conclusions: Patients with PNES exhibited an impairment of white matter integrity and a reduction of gray matter volume, but no glymphatic-system changes. These findings will play a significant role in our comprehension of this complex illness.

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