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Widespread Functional Deficits in Perception‐Related Networks Demonstrated by PET in a Case with Simple Visual Seizures
Author(s) -
Mielke R.,
WeberLuxenburger G.,
Kessler J.,
Szelies B.,
Heiss W.D.
Publication year - 1997
Publication title -
epilepsia
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.687
H-Index - 191
eISSN - 1528-1167
pISSN - 0013-9580
DOI - 10.1111/j.1528-1157.1997.tb01130.x
Subject(s) - occipital lobe , diaschisis , flumazenil , neuroscience , psychology , positron emission tomography , epilepsy , temporal lobe , electroencephalography , visual cortex , functional magnetic resonance imaging , functional imaging , medicine , benzodiazepine , cerebellum , receptor
Summary:Purpose : To study benzodiazepine receptor (BZR) density and functional deficits in occipital lobe epilepsy. Methods : A 39‐year‐old man who had simple partial visual seizures after neurosurgical transtentorial extirpation of a pine‐aloma was studied by EEG, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and positron emission tomography (PET) of [ 18 F]2‐fluoro‐2‐deoxy‐D‐glucose (FDG) at rest and during visual activation task and [ 11 C]flumazenil (FMZ). Results : Electroencephalographic recordings were nonspecific, and MRI did not reveal any morphologic anomaly in the occipital lobe. Flumazenil‐PET demonstrated a small epileptogenic region in the right visual association cortex and FDG‐PET showed hypometabolism in a corresponding location and thalamic diaschisis. Stimulation of occipital metabolism by a continuous visual recognition task improved significantly the contrast between the dysfunctional zone and its surround. Conclusions : As BZR deficits are restricted to a small region, widespread hypometabolism in networks involved in visual information processing indicates an extensive functional deactivation by the epileptogenic focus.