A comparison of the neuropathological effects of vigabatrin and carbamazepine in patients with newly diagnosed localization-related epilepsy using MR-based cerebral T2 relaxation time measurements

Van Paesschen, W; Duncan, J.S; Connelly, A

« Previous Next »Epilepsy Research
Volume 29, Issue 2 , Pages 155-160, January 1998

A comparison of the neuropathological effects of vigabatrin and carbamazepine in patients with newly diagnosed localization-related epilepsy using MR-based cerebral T2 relaxation time measurements

W Van Paesschen
- Epilepsy Research Group, University Department of Clinical Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
- NMR Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK
- Corresponding author. Present address: Department of Neurology, University Hospital Gasthuisberg, 49 Herestraat, 3000 Leuven, Belgium. Tel.: +32 16 344280; fax: +32 16 344285.
J.S Duncan
- Epilepsy Research Group, University Department of Clinical Neurology, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London WC1N 3BG, UK
A Connelly
- NMR Unit, Great Ormond Street Hospital for Children and Institute of Child Health, 30 Guilford Street, London WC1N 3JH, UK

Received 27 April 1997; received in revised form 10 September 1997; accepted 14 September 1997.

Abstract

Background: Magnetic resonance (MR)-based T2 relaxation time measurement is a sensitive technique to detect neuropathological changes such as intramyelinic edema in vivo. Objective: To determine whether vigabatrin (VGB) causes an increase in T2 relaxation time in patients with newly diagnosed localization-related epilepsy over 1 year. Methods: Patients with newly diagnosed localization-related epilepsy who participated in a VGB-carbamazepine (CBZ) monotherapy trial were included. All were scanned on a 1.5 T Siemens SP63 Magnetom scanner. T2 maps of the brain were obtained at baseline and at follow-up 1 year later. Nine control subjects had repeated hippocampal T2 maps with a median interval of ≈2 years. Results: 23 patients (12 on VGB and 11 on CBZ) were included. There were no increased T2 relaxation times in the VGB treated group at follow-up and no significant differences between the two antiepileptic drug groups. There was a trend for the temporal and frontal white matter T2 relaxation times to be lower on follow-up in the patients compared to the control subjects. Conclusion: The findings do not suggest that intramyelinic edema occurs in patients taking monotherapy VGB for 1 year.

Keywords: Quantitative MRI, T2 relaxation time, Vigabatrin, Carbamazepine, Epilepsy