文摘
Our aim was to determine whether temporal epileptic patients and normal volunteers display similar sleep spindles¡¯ cortical generators as determined by electrical source imaging (ESI), and whether such generators overlap in epilepsy patients with the epileptogenic zone identified by ESI. Thirteen healthy subjects and eight temporal lobe pharmaco-resistant epileptic patients underwent a 256-channel EEG recording during a daytime nap. Sleep spindles were analyzed off line, distinguishing slow (10-12 Hz) and fast (12-14 Hz) ones, and the final averaged signal was projected onto an MNI (Montreal Neurological Institute) space to localize cortical generators. The same procedure was performed for averaged epileptic spikes, obtaining their cortical source. Intra- and inter-group statistical analysis were conducted. Multiple, concomitant generators were detected in both populations for slow and fast spindles. Slow spindles in epileptics displayed higher source amplitude in comparison to healthy volunteers (p = 0.042), as well as a preferential localization over the temporal cortices (p = 0.035). Interestingly, at least one of slow spindles¡¯ generators overlapped with the epileptogenic zone. Slow spindles, but not fast ones, in temporal epilepsy are mainly generated by the affected temporal lobe. These results point to the strict relation between sleep and epilepsy and to possible cognitive implications.