Grey matter anomalies in drug-naïve childhood absence epilepsy: A voxel-based morphometry study with MRI at 3.0 T

•We examined GM changes in drug-naïve patients with CAE with VBM.•GM volume reduction in bilateral thalami was associated with CAE.•The thalamus plays a prominent role in the pathophysiogenesis of absence seizures.

BackgroundLittle is known, so far, about the cerebral structural abnormalities in drug-naïve patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE). We aimed to investigate regional grey matter (GM) volume differences using voxel-based morphometry (VBM) in patients and closely matched healthy control subjects.MethodsTwenty drug-naïve patients diagnosed with CAE and 20 age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited. All participants underwent structural MRI scans with a 3.0 T MR system. The differences in regional GM volumes between the two groups were determined by VBM analysis. Additional regression analyses were performed to identify any associations between regional GM volume and clinical seizure variables.ResultsCompared with controls, the patients with CAE showed less GM volume in the bilateral thalami. Furthermore, the GM volume in the bilateral thalami was negatively correlated with disease duration and age of onset in the CAE group.ConclusionsBy excluding the potential effect of medication on brain structures, our study demonstrates less GM volume in the bilateral thalami in drug-naïve patients with idiopathic CAE. Our study further provides structural neuroimaging evidence on the pathophysiology of absence seizures.