Specialized PET Studies May Help in the Treatment of Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex

In the July 12, 2013 articles published on-line early before print of the journal Neurology, Drs. Chugani and researchers from Detroit published data on how specific PET imaging known as AMT PET helped in seizure localization in Tuberous Sclerosis complex.

• A total of 191 patients from three months to 37 years of age with tuberous sclerosis complex and intractable epilepsy were studied with AMT PET scan with results correlated with video EEG data in order to assess important information about seizure location.

• The investigators found that the longer the duration of seizure intractability, the greater the number of hot spots - areas that may correspond to seizure locations - were seen on AMT PET.

  • In 68 of 95 patients (72%), the location of hot spots was in excellent agreement in the lateralization of seizure focus with scalp EEG data.

  • In 28 of 68 patients (41%), AMT PET was more localizing and gave additional information in terms of seizure onset.

  • AMT PET was localizing in 10 of 17 patients, or 58%, even in people whose EEG was not so clearly lateralized.

  • The investigators concluded:

    • AMT PET, when used with video EEG, provides additional lateralization localization data regardless of the tuberous sclerosis complex type.

    • The duration of the seizure response to medication may predict how many of these hot spots are noted on PET imaging.