Apparent diffusion coefficient alterations associated with experimental complex partial status epilepticus

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate whether water apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) measurements provide more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about brain parenchyma lesions secondary to prolonged complex partial seizure. We measured the ADC in the brain of rats exhibiting prolonged complex partial seizures induced by an intraperitoneal injection of kainic acid (KA). The animals were imaged with diffusion and T2-weighted MRI at 2 T from 3 h to 9 days after the KA injection. In the piriform cortex and amygdala, the T2-weighted MRI signal intensity appeared to be uniformly increased from 24 to 72 h after KA injection, and to return to normal by 9 days after. In the same regions between 24 and 72 h, the ADC first decreased and then increased. The ADC changes were consistent with the known histopathological alterations. In this complex partial seizure model, the ADC measurement provides more specific information than T2-weighted MRI about the histopathological evolution of the lesions.