The cortical regions of the brains of patients with juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) are more likely to be disassociated from subcortical structures, according to a recent study that compared the MRI readings of JME patients to those of normal children.
- Investigators from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine compared 21 children with JME to 22 healthy controls over a 2 year period.
- Normal children had modular cortical development and network integration between cortical and subcortical regions.
- Patients with epilepsy had a less modular cortical network that was disassociated from subcortical structures.
- Children with JME were also found to have weaker modules or communities, as indicated by higher clustering and lower modularity indices.
Garcia-Ramos C, Dabbs K, Lin JJ, et al. Progressive dissociation of cortical and subcortical network development in children with new ‐onset juvenile myoclonic epilepsy [Published online ahead of print Oct 3, 2018]. Epilepsia. https://doi.org/10.1111/epi.14560
