颞叶癫痫患者执行功能损害的神经心理及磁共振弥散张量成像研究

目的 用神经心理学方法和磁共振弥散张量成像技术(DTI),研究颞叶癫痫患者认知功能损害的特点及与各脑区DTI参数的关系.方法 对32例成人颞叶癫痫患者和42名正常健康对照进行神经心理检查包括词语流畅性、Stroop、连线试验(A)、数字广度和数字符号],并对19例颞叶癫痫患者和21名正常健康对照进行弥散张量成像扫描.结果 颞叶癫痫患者组词语流畅性(11±4)明显差于正常对照组(16±4),数字广度、数字符号显著低于正常对照组.与对照组相比,颞叶癫痫患者左侧内囊后肢和双侧丘脑的FA值显著减低,差异具有统计学意义.相关分析结果显示:左侧尾状核(r=-0.56,P=0.04)、双侧壳核(右r=-0.58,P=0.04;左r=-0.58,P=0.04)、右侧丘脑MD值(r=-0.64,P=0.02)与词语流畅性呈负相关,左侧额叶(r=0.43,P=0.04)、左枕叶白质FA值(r=0.47,P=0.02)与词语流畅性呈正相关.胼胝体膝部(r=0.58,P=0.04)、左侧壳核MD值(r=-0.59,P=0.04)与数字广度呈负相关.双侧内囊后肢MD值与连线时间呈正相关,相关系数分别为右内囊后肢0.65(P=0.02),左内囊后肢0.59(P=0.03).结论 此研究结果支持额叶在执行功能中的重要作用,同时也发现与执行功能相关的脑区可能超出额叶的范围.

Executive function impairment in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy: neuropsychological and diffusion-tensor imaging study

OBJECTIVE: To explore the cognitive changes and the relation with the parameters of DTI in the brain areas in patients with temporal lobe epilepsy by neuropsychological test and DTI study. METHODS: Thirty-two patients with temporal lobe epilepsy, 11 males and 8 females, aged 32 +/- 12, with the education year of 8.6 +/- 1.2, and 42 sex, age, and education level-matched healthy controls underwent and a comprehensive test battery test including verbal fluency (VI), digit span (DSp), digit symbol (DSy), Stroop color-word test, trail making test, and so as to evaluate the intelligence level. Nineteen patients and twenty-one control subjects underwent diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) of the head. The correlation between the results of DTI and cognitive function tests of the patients was analyzed. RESULTS: VI test showed that the number of word spoken in 1 min by the healthy control group was (16 +/- 4), significantly more than that of the patient group (11 +/- 4), P = 0.00]. The DSp score of the control group was (14.6 +/- 3.1) points, significantly more than that of the patient group (11.1 +/- 2.8), P = 0.00]. The number of DSy filled by the patient group was (47 +/- 17), significantly less than that of the control group (60 +/- 16), P = 0.00]. The time needed to make trail of the patients was (56 +/- 20) s, significantly longer than that of the control group (37 +/- 11) s, P = 0.01]. The Stroop reaction time of the patient group was (6.1 +/- 4.5) s, significantly longer than that of the control group (30 +/- 5) s, P = 0.00]. The Stroop error number of the patient group was (6.1 +/- 4.5), significantly more than that of the control group (1.4 +/- 1.2), P = 0.00]. The fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the posterior limb of left internal capsule and of the bilateral thalami of the patient group were significantly lower than those of the control group (P = 0.01 or P = 0.00). VI was negatively correlated with the mean diffusivity (MD) in left caudamen (r = -0.56, P = 0.04), right putamen (r = -0.58, P = 0.04), left putamen (r = -0.58, P = 0.04), and right thalamus (r = -0.64, P = 0.02), and was positively correlated with the FA in white matter of left frontal lobe (r = 0.43, P = 0.04)and left occipital lobe (r = 0.47, P = 0.02). DSp was negatively correlated with the MD in splenium of corpus callosum (r = 0.58, P = 0.04) and left putamen (r = -0.59, P = 0.04). TMT was positively correlated with the MD in the posterior limb of right internal capsule (r = 0.65, P = 0.02) and posterior limb of left internal capsule (r = 0.59, P = 0.03). CONCLUSION: The prefrontal cortex is a vital component of the circuitry subserving executive function. But the corresponding damaged area in patients with impaired executive function was not limited to frontal lobe,more areas beyond frontal lobe may be involved in executive function.