Modeling and simulation of successive breakdown events in thin gate dielectrics using standard reliability growth models

Altres ajuts: acords transformatius de la UABThe application of constant electrical stress to a metal-insulator-semiconductor (MOS) or metal-insulator-metal (MIM) structure can generate multiple breakdown events in the dielectric film. Very often, these events are detected as small jumps in the current-time characteristic of the device under test and can be treated from the stochastic viewpoint as a counting process. In this letter, a wide variety of standard reliability growth models for this process are assessed in order to determine which option provides the best simulation results compatible with the experimental observations. For the generation of the breakdown event arrivals, two alternative stochastic methods for the power-law Poisson process are investigated: first, the inversion algorithm for the cumulative distribution function and second, an on-the-fly method based on the so-called rejection algorithm. Though both methods are equivalent, the first one is more appropriate for data analysis using spreadsheet calculations while the second one is highly suitable for circuit simulation environments like LTSpice. The connection of the selected nonhomogeneous Poisson process with the Weibull model for dielectric breakdown is also discussed

Unraveling a Neanderthal palimpsest from a zooarcheological and taphonomic perspective

Practically all archeological assemblages are palimpsests. In spite of the high temporal resolution of Abric Romaní site, level O, dated to around 55 ka, is not an exception. This paper focuses on a zooarcheological and taphonomic analysis of this level, paying special attention to spatial and temporal approaches. The main goal is to unravel the palimpsest at the finest possible level by using different methods and techniques, such as archeostratigraphy, anatomical and taxonomical identification, taphonomic analysis, faunal refits and tooth wear analysis. The results obtained are compared to ethnoarcheological data so as to interpret site structure. In addition, activities carried out over different time spans (from individual episodes to long-term behaviors) are detected, and their spatial extent is explored, allowing to do inferences on settlement dynamics. This leads us to discuss the temporal and spatial scales over which Neanderthals carried out different activities within the site, and how they can be studied through the archeological record

Sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease VM1: phenotypic and molecular characterization of a novel subtype of human prion disease

The methionine (M)-valine (V) polymorphic codon 129 of the prion protein gene (PRNP) plays a central role in both susceptibility and phenotypic expression of sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob diseases (sCJD). Experimental transmissions of sCJD in humanized transgenic mice led to the isolation of five prion strains, named M1, M2C, M2T, V2, and V1, based on two major conformations of the pathological prion protein (PrPSc, type 1 and type 2), and the codon 129 genotype determining susceptibility and propagation efficiency. While the most frequent sCJD strains have been described in codon 129 homozygosis (MM1, MM2C, VV2) and heterozygosis (MV1, MV2K, and MV2C), the V1 strain has only been found in patients carrying VV. We identified six sCJD cases, 4 in Catalonia and 2 in Italy, carrying MV at PRNP codon 129 in combination with PrPSc type 1 and a new clinical and neuropathological profile reminiscent of the VV1 sCJD subtype rather than typical MM1/MV1. All patients had a relatively long duration (mean of 20.5 vs. 3.5 months of MM1/MV1 patients) and lacked electroencephalographic periodic sharp-wave complexes at diagnosis. Distinctive histopathological features included the spongiform change with vacuoles of larger size than those seen in sCJD MM1/MV1, the lesion profile with prominent cortical and striatal involvement, and the pattern of PrPSc deposition characterized by a dissociation between florid spongiform change and mild synaptic deposits associated with coarse, patch-like deposits in the cerebellar molecular layer. Western blot analysis of brain homogenates revealed a PrPSc type 1 profile with physicochemical properties reminiscent of the type 1 protein linked to the VV1 sCJD subtype. In summary, we have identified a new subtype of sCJD with distinctive clinicopathological features significantly overlapping with those of the VV1 subtype, possibly representing the missing evidence of V1 sCJD strain propagation in the 129MV host genotype

Subcortical volumes across the lifespan: data from 18,605 healthy individuals aged 3-90 years

Age has a major effect on brain volume. However, the normative studies available are constrained by small sample sizes, restricted age coverage and significant methodological variability. These limitations introduce inconsistencies and may obscure or distort the lifespan trajectories of brain morphometry. In response, we capitalized on the resources of the Enhancing Neuroimaging Genetics through Meta-Analysis (ENIGMA) Consortium to examine age-related trajectories inferred from cross-sectional measures of the ventricles, the basal ganglia (caudate, putamen, pallidum, and nucleus accumbens), the thalamus, hippocampus and amygdala using magnetic resonance imaging data obtained from 18,605 individuals aged 3?90?years. All subcortical structure volumes were at their maximum value early in life. The volume of the basal ganglia showed a monotonic negative association with age thereafter; there was no significant association between age and the volumes of the thalamus, amygdala and the hippocampus (with some degree of decline in thalamus) until the sixth decade of life after which they also showed a steep negative association with age. The lateral ventricles showed continuous enlargement throughout the lifespan. Age was positively associated with inter-individual variability in the hippocampus and amygdala and the lateral ventricles. These results were robust to potential confounders and could be used to examine the functional significance of deviations from typical age-related morphometric patterns.This study presents independent research funded by multiple agen-cies. The funding sources had no role in the study design, data collection, analysis, and interpretation of the data. The views expressed inthe manuscript are those of the authors and do not necessarily repre-sent those of any of the funding agencies. Dr. Dima received fundingfrom the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Biomedical Research Centre at South London and Maudsley NHS FoundationTrust and King's College London, the Psychiatry Research Trust and2014 NARSAD Young Investigator Award. Dr. Frangou received sup-port from the National Institutes of Health (R01 MH104284,R01MH113619, R01 MH116147), the European Community's Sev-enth Framework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) (grant agreementn 602450). This work was supported in part through the computa-tional resources and staff expertise provided by Scientific Computingat the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, USA. Dr. Agartz wassupported by the Swedish Research Council (grant numbers:521-2014-3487 and 2017-00949). Dr. Alnæs was supported by theSouth Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority (grant number:2019107). Dr. O Andreasen was supported by the Research Councilof Norway (grant number: 223273) and South-Eastern Norway HealthAuthority (grant number: 2017-112). Dr. Cervenka was supported bythe Swedish Research Council (grant number 523-2014-3467).Dr. Crespo-Facorro was supported by the IDIVAL Neuroimaging Unitfor imaging acquisition; Instituto de Salud Carlos III (grant numbers:PI020499, PI050427, PI060507, PI14/00639 and PI14/00918) andthe Fundación Instituto de Investigación Marqués de Valdecilla (grantnumbers: NCT0235832, NCT02534363, and API07/011). Dr. Gurwas supported by the National Institute of Mental Health (grant num-bers: R01MH042191 and R01MH117014). Dr. James was supportedby the Medical Research Council (grant no G0500092). Dr. Saykinreceived support from U.S. National Institutes of Health grants R01AG19771, P30 AG10133 and R01 CA101318. Dr. Thompson,Dr. Jahanshad, Dr. Wright, Dr. Medland, Dr. O Andreasen, Dr. Rinker,Dr. Schmaal, Dr. Veltam, Dr. van Erp, and D.P.H. were supported inpart by a Consortium grant (U54 EB020403 to P.M.T.) from the NIHInstitutes contributing to the Big Data to Knowledge (BD2K) Initiative.FBIRN sample: Data collection and analysis was supported by the National Center for Research Resources at the National Institutes ofHealth (grant numbers: NIH 1 U24 RR021992 (Function BiomedicalInformatics Research Network) and NIH 1 U24 RR025736-01(Biomedical Informatics Research Network Coordinating Center;http://www.birncommunity.org). FBIRN data was processed by theUCI High Performance Computing cluster supported by the NationalCenter for Research Resources and the National Center for AdvancingTranslational Sciences, National Institutes of Health, through GrantUL1 TR000153. Brainscale: This work was supported by NederlandseOrganisatie voor Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek (NWO 51.02.061 toH.H., NWO 51.02.062 to D.B., NWO- NIHC Programs of excellence433-09-220 to H.H., NWO-MagW 480-04-004 to D.B., andNWO/SPI 56-464-14192 to D.B.); FP7 Ideas: European ResearchCouncil (ERC-230374 to D.B.); and Universiteit Utrecht (High Poten-tial Grant to H.H.). UMCU-1.5T: This study is partially funded throughthe Geestkracht Programme of the Dutch Health Research Council(Zon-Mw, grant No 10-000-1001), and matching funds from partici-pating pharmaceutical companies (Lundbeck, AstraZeneca, Eli Lilly,Janssen Cilag) and universities and mental health care organizations(Amsterdam: Academic Psychiatric Centre of the Academic MedicalCenter and the mental health institutions: GGZ Ingeest, Arkin, Dijk enDuin, GGZ Rivierduinen, Erasmus Medical Centre, GGZ Noord Hol-land Noord. Groningen: University Medical Center Groningen and themental health institutions: Lentis, GGZ Friesland, GGZ Drenthe, Dim-ence, Mediant, GGNet Warnsveld, Yulius Dordrecht and Parnassiapsycho-medical center The Hague. Maastricht: Maastricht UniversityMedical Centre and the mental health institutions: GGzE, GGZBreburg, GGZ Oost-Brabant, Vincent van Gogh voor GeestelijkeGezondheid, Mondriaan, Virenze riagg, Zuyderland GGZ, MET ggz,Universitair Centrum Sint-Jozef Kortenberg, CAPRI University of Ant-werp, PC Ziekeren Sint-Truiden, PZ Sancta Maria Sint-Truiden, GGZOverpelt, OPZ Rekem. Utrecht: University Medical Center Utrechtand the mental health institutions Altrecht, GGZ Centraal and Delta.).UMCU-3T: This study was supported by NIMH grant number: R01MH090553 (to RAO). The NIMH had no further role in study design,in the collection, analysis and interpretation of the data, in the writingof the report, and in the decision to submit the paper for publication.Netherlands Twin Register: Funding was obtained from the Nether-lands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO) and The NetherlandsOrganization for Health Research and Development (ZonMW) grants904-61-090, 985-10-002, 912-10-020, 904-61-193,480-04-004,463-06-001, 451-04-034, 400-05-717, 400-07-080, 31160008,016-115-035, 481-08-011, 056-32-010, 911-09-032, 024-001-003,480-15-001/674, Center for Medical Systems Biology (CSMB, NWOGenomics), Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infra-structure (BBMRI-NL, 184.021.007 and 184.033.111); Spinozapremie(NWO- 56-464-14192), and the Neuroscience Amsterdam researchinstitute (former NCA). The BIG database, established in Nijmegen in2007, is now part of Cognomics, a joint initiative by researchers of theDonders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, the Human Genetics andCognitive Neuroscience departments of the Radboud University Medi-cal Centre, and the Max Planck Institute for Psycholinguistics. TheCognomics Initiative is supported by the participating departments and centers and by external grants, including grants from the Biobankingand Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastructure (Netherlands)(BBMRI-NL) and the Hersenstichting Nederland. The authors alsoacknowledge grants supporting their work from the Netherlands Orga-nization for Scientific Research (NWO), that is, the NWO Brain & Cog-nition Excellence Program (grant 433-09-229), the Vici InnovationProgram (grant 016-130-669 to BF) and #91619115. Additional sup-port is received from the European Community's Seventh FrameworkProgramme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreements n 602805(Aggressotype), n 603016 (MATRICS), n 602450 (IMAGEMEND), andn 278948 (TACTICS), and from the European Community's Horizon2020 Programme (H2020/2014–2020) under grant agreements n 643051 (MiND) and n 667302 (CoCA). Betula sample: Data collectionfor the BETULA sample was supported by a grant from Knut and AliceWallenberg Foundation (KAW); the Freesurfer segmentations wereperformed on resources provided by the Swedish National Infrastruc-ture for Computing (SNIC) at HPC2N in Umeå, Sweden. Indiana sample:This sample was supported in part by grants to BCM from SiemensMedical Solutions, from the members of the Partnership for PediatricEpilepsy Research, which includes the American Epilepsy Society, theEpilepsy Foundation, the Epilepsy Therapy Project, Fight Against Child-hood Epilepsy and Seizures (F.A.C.E.S.), and Parents Against ChildhoodEpilepsy (P.A.C.E.), from the Indiana State Department of Health SpinalCord and Brain Injury Fund Research Grant Program, and by a ProjectDevelopment Team within the ICTSI NIH/NCRR Grant NumberRR025761. MHRC study: It was supported in part by RFBR grant20-013-00748. PING study: Data collection and sharing for the Pediat-ric Imaging, Neurocognition and Genetics (PING) Study (National Insti-tutes of Health Grant RC2DA029475) were funded by the NationalInstitute on Drug Abuse and the Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Insti-tute of Child Health & Human Development. A full list of PING investi-gators is at http://pingstudy.ucsd.edu/investigators.html. QTIM sample:The authors are grateful to the twins for their generosity of time andwillingness to participate in our study and thank the many researchassistants, radiographers, and other staff at QIMR Berghofer MedicalResearch Institute and the Centre for Advanced Imaging, University ofQueensland. QTIM was funded by the Australian National Health andMedical Research Council (Project Grants No. 496682 and 1009064)and US National Institute of Child Health and Human Development(RO1HD050735). Lachlan Strike was supported by a University ofQueensland PhD scholarship. Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP): thisis part of the Community Medicine Research net (CMR) (http://www.medizin.uni-greifswald.de/icm) of the University Medicine Greifswald,which is supported by the German Federal State of Mecklenburg- WestPomerania. MRI scans in SHIP and SHIP-TREND have been supportedby a joint grant from Siemens Healthineers, Erlangen, Germany and theFederal State of Mecklenburg-West Pomerania. This study was furthersupported by the DZHK (German Centre for Cardiovascular Research),the German Centre of Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE) and theEU-JPND Funding for BRIDGET (FKZ:01ED1615). TOP study: this wassupported by the European Community's Seventh Framework Pro-gramme (FP7/2007–2013), grant agreement n 602450. The Southernand Eastern Norway Regional Health Authority supported Lars T. Westlye (grant no. 2014-097) and STROKEMRI (grantno. 2013-054). HUBIN sample: HUBIN was supported by the SwedishResearch Council (K2007-62X-15077-04-1, K2008-62P-20597-01-3,K2010-62X-15078-07-2, K2012-61X-15078-09-3), the regional agree-ment on medical training and clinical research between StockholmCounty Council, and the Karolinska Institutet, and the Knut and AliceWallenberg Foundation. The BIG database: this was established in Nij-megen in 2007, is now part of Cognomics, a joint initiative byresearchers of the Donders Centre for Cognitive Neuroimaging, theHuman Genetics and Cognitive Neuroscience departments of theRadboud university medical centre, and the Max Planck Institute forPsycholinguistics. The Cognomics Initiative is supported by the partici-pating departments and centres and by external grants, including grantsfrom the Biobanking and Biomolecular Resources Research Infrastruc-ture (Netherlands) (BBMRI-NL) and the Hersenstichting Nederland. Theauthors also acknowledge grants supporting their work from the Neth-erlands Organization for Scientific Research (NWO), that is, the NWOBrain & Cognition Excellence Program (grant 433-09-229), the ViciInnovation Program (grant 016-130-669 to BF) and #91619115. Addi-tional support is received from the European Community's SeventhFramework Programme (FP7/2007–2013) under grant agreements n 602805 (Aggressotype), n 603016 (MATRICS), n 602450(IMAGEMEND), and n 278948 (TACTICS), and from the EuropeanCommunity's Horizon 2020 Programme (H2020/2014–2020) undergrant agreements n 643051 (MiND) and n 667302 (CoCA)

Different Whole-Brain Functional Connectivity Correlates of Reactive-Proactive Aggression and Callous-Unemotional Traits in Children and Adolescents with Disruptive Behaviors

Background: Disruptive behavior in children and adolescents can manifest as reactive aggression and proactive aggression and is modulated by callous-unemotional traits and other comorbidities. Neural correlates of these aggression dimensions or subtypes and comorbid symptoms remain largely unknown. This multi-center study investigated the relationship between resting state functional connectivity (rsFC) and aggression subtypes considering comorbidities. Methods: The large sample of children and adolescents aged 8–18 years (n = 207; mean age = 13.30 ± 2.60 years, 150 males) included 118 cases with disruptive behavior (80 with Oppositional Defiant Disorder and/or Conduct Disorder) and 89 controls. Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and anxiety symptom scores were analyzed as covariates when assessing group differences and dimensional aggression effects on hypothesis-free global and local voxel-to-voxel whole-brain rsFC based on functional magnetic resonance imaging at 3 Tesla. Results: Compared to controls, the cases demonstrated altered rsFC in frontal areas, when anxiety but not ADHD symptoms were controlled. For cases, reactive and proactive aggression scores related to global and local rsFC in the central gyrus and precuneus, regions linked to aggression-related impairments. Callous-unemotional trait severity was correlated with ICC in the inferior and middle temporal regions implicated in empathy, emotion, and reward processing. Most observed aggression subtype-specific patterns could only be identified when ADHD and anxiety were controlled for. Conclusions: This study clarifies that hypothesis-free brain connectivity measures can disentangle distinct though overlapping dimensions of aggression in youths. Moreover, our results highlight the importance of considering comorbid symptoms to detect aggression-related rsFC alterations in youths

Atlas of lesion locations and postsurgical seizure freedom in focal cortical dysplasia: A MELD study

Objective: Drug-resistant focal epilepsy is often caused by focal cortical dysplasias (FCDs). The distribution of these lesions across the cerebral cortex and the impact of lesion location on clinical presentation and surgical outcome are largely unknown. We created a neuroimaging cohort of patients with individually mapped FCDs to determine factors associated with lesion location and predictors of postsurgical outcome. Methods: The MELD (Multi-centre Epilepsy Lesion Detection) project collated a retrospective cohort of 580 patients with epilepsy attributed to FCD from 20 epilepsy centers worldwide. Magnetic resonance imaging-based maps of individual FCDs with accompanying demographic, clinical, and surgical information were collected. We mapped the distribution of FCDs, examined for associations between clinical factors and lesion location, and developed a predictive model of postsurgical seizure freedom. Results: FCDs were nonuniformly distributed, concentrating in the superior frontal sulcus, frontal pole, and temporal pole. Epilepsy onset was typically before the age of 10 years. Earlier epilepsy onset was associated with lesions in primary sensory areas, whereas later epilepsy onset was associated with lesions in association cortices. Lesions in temporal and occipital lobes tended to be larger than frontal lobe lesions. Seizure freedom rates varied with FCD location, from around 30% in visual, motor, and premotor areas to 75% in superior temporal and frontal gyri. The predictive model of postsurgical seizure freedom had a positive predictive value of 70% and negative predictive value of 61%. Significance: FCD location is an important determinant of its size, the age at epilepsy onset, and the likelihood of seizure freedom postsurgery. Our atlas of lesion locations can be used to guide the radiological search for subtle lesions in individual patients. Our atlas of regional seizure freedom rates and associated predictive model can be used to estimate individual likelihoods of postsurgical seizure freedom. Data-driven atlases and predictive models are essential for evidence-based, precision medicine and risk counseling in epilepsy

Patterns of subregional cerebellar atrophy across epilepsy syndromes: An ENIGMA-Epilepsy study

\ua9 2024 The Authors. Epilepsia published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International League Against Epilepsy.Objective: The intricate neuroanatomical structure of the cerebellum is of longstanding interest in epilepsy, but has been poorly characterized within the current corticocentric models of this disease. We quantified cross-sectional regional cerebellar lobule volumes using structural magnetic resonance imaging in 1602 adults with epilepsy and 1022 healthy controls across 22 sites from the global ENIGMA-Epilepsy working group. Methods: A state-of-the-art deep learning-based approach was employed that parcellates the cerebellum into 28 neuroanatomical subregions. Linear mixed models compared total and regional cerebellar volume in (1) all epilepsies, (2) temporal lobe epilepsy with hippocampal sclerosis (TLE-HS), (3) nonlesional temporal lobe epilepsy, (4) genetic generalized epilepsy, and (5) extratemporal focal epilepsy (ETLE). Relationships were examined for cerebellar volume versus age at seizure onset, duration of epilepsy, phenytoin treatment, and cerebral cortical thickness. Results: Across all epilepsies, reduced total cerebellar volume was observed (d =.42). Maximum volume loss was observed in the corpus medullare (dmax =.49) and posterior lobe gray matter regions, including bilateral lobules VIIB (dmax =.47), crus I/II (dmax =.39), VIIIA (dmax =.45), and VIIIB (dmax =.40). Earlier age at seizure onset ((Formula presented.) =.05) and longer epilepsy duration ((Formula presented.) =.06) correlated with reduced volume in these regions. Findings were most pronounced in TLE-HS and ETLE, with distinct neuroanatomical profiles observed in the posterior lobe. Phenytoin treatment was associated with reduced posterior lobe volume. Cerebellum volume correlated with cerebral cortical thinning more strongly in the epilepsy cohort than in controls. Significance: We provide robust evidence of deep cerebellar and posterior lobe subregional gray matter volume loss in patients with chronic epilepsy. Volume loss was maximal for posterior subregions implicated in nonmotor functions, relative to motor regions of both the anterior and posterior lobe. Associations between cerebral and cerebellar changes, and variability of neuroanatomical profiles across epilepsy syndromes argue for more precise incorporation of cerebellar subregional damage into neurobiological models of epilepsy

Prevalence of disability in a composite ≥75 year-old population in Spain: A screening survey based on the International Classification of Functioning

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The prevalence and predictors of functional status and disability of elderly people have been studied in several European countries including Spain. However, there has been no population-based study incorporating the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) framework as the basis for assessing disability. The present study reports prevalence rates for mild, moderate, and severe/extreme disability by the domains of activities and participation of the ICF.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Nine populations surveyed in previous prevalence studies contributed probabilistic and geographically defined samples in June 2005. The study sample was composed of 503 subjects aged ≥75 years. We implemented a two-phase screening design using the MMSE and the World Health Organization-Disability Assessment Schedule 2^ndedition (WHO-DAS II, 12 items) as cognitive and disability screening tools, respectively. Participants scoring within the positive range of the disability screening were administered the full WHO-DAS II (36 items; score range: 0-100) assessing the following areas: Understanding and communication, Getting along with people, Life activities, Getting around, Participation in society, and Self-care. Each disability area assessed by WHO-DAS II (36 items) was reported according to the ICF severity ranges (No problem, 0-4; Mild disability, 5-24; Moderate disability, 25-49; Severe/Extreme disability, 50-100).</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The age-adjusted disability prevalence figures were: 39.17 ± 2.18%, 15.31 ± 1.61%, and 10.14 ± 1.35% for mild, moderate, and severe/extreme disability, respectively. Severe and extreme disability prevalence in mobility and life activities was three times higher than the average, and highest among women. Sex variations were minimal, although life activities for women of 85 years and over had more severe/extreme disability as compared to men (OR = 5.15 95% CI 3.19-8.32).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Disability is highly prevalent among the Spanish elderly. Sex- and age-specific variations of disability are associated with particular disability domains.</p

A systems-level analysis highlights microglial activation as a modifying factor in common epilepsies

Aims: The causes of distinct patterns of reduced cortical thickness in the common human epilepsies, detectable on neuroimaging and with important clinical consequences, are unknown. We investigated the underlying mechanisms of cortical thinning using a systems-level analysis. Methods: Imaging-based cortical structural maps from a large-scale epilepsy neuroimaging study were overlaid with highly spatially resolved human brain gene expression data from the Allen Human Brain Atlas. Cell-type deconvolution, differential expression analysis and cell-type enrichment analyses were used to identify differences in cell-type distribution. These differences were followed up in post-mortem brain tissue from humans with epilepsy using Iba1 immunolabelling. Furthermore, to investigate a causal effect in cortical thinning, cell-type-specific depletion was used in a murine model of acquired epilepsy. Results: We identified elevated fractions of microglia and endothelial cells in regions of reduced cortical thickness. Differentially expressed genes showed enrichment for microglial markers and, in particular, activated microglial states. Analysis of post-mortem brain tissue from humans with epilepsy confirmed excess activated microglia. In the murine model, transient depletion of activated microglia during the early phase of the disease development prevented cortical thinning and neuronal cell loss in the temporal cortex. Although the development of chronic seizures was unaffected, the epileptic mice with early depletion of activated microglia did not develop deficits in a non-spatial memory test seen in epileptic mice not depleted of microglia. Conclusions: These convergent data strongly implicate activated microglia in cortical thinning, representing a new dimension for concern and disease modification in the epilepsies, potentially distinct from seizure control

Structural brain abnormalities in the common epilepsies assessed in a worldwide ENIGMA study

Progressive functional decline in the epilepsies is largely unexplained. We formed the ENIGMA-Epilepsy consortium to understand factors that influence brain measures in epilepsy, pooling data from 24 research centres in 14 countries across Europe, North and South America, Asia, and Australia. Structural brain measures were extracted from MRI brain scans across 2149 individuals with epilepsy, divided into four epilepsy subgroups including idiopathic generalized epilepsies (n =367), mesial temporal lobe epilepsies with hippocampal sclerosis (MTLE; left, n = 415; right, n = 339), and all other epilepsies in aggregate (n = 1026), and compared to 1727 matched healthy controls. We ranked brain structures in order of greatest differences between patients and controls, by meta-Analysing effect sizes across 16 subcortical and 68 cortical brain regions. We also tested effects of duration of disease, age at onset, and age-by-diagnosis interactions on structural measures. We observed widespread patterns of altered subcortical volume and reduced cortical grey matter thickness. Compared to controls, all epilepsy groups showed lower volume in the right thalamus (Cohen's d = \ue2 '0.24 to \ue2 '0.73; P &lt; 1.49 7 10 \ue2 '4), and lower thickness in the precentral gyri bilaterally (d = \ue2 '0.34 to \ue2 '0.52; P &lt; 4.31 7 10 \ue2 '6). Both MTLE subgroups showed profound volume reduction in the ipsilateral hippocampus (d = \ue2 '1.73 to \ue2 '1.91, P &lt; 1.4 7 10 \ue2 '19), and lower thickness in extrahippocampal cortical regions, including the precentral and paracentral gyri, compared to controls (d = \ue2 '0.36 to \ue2 '0.52; P &lt; 1.49 7 10 \ue2 '4). Thickness differences of the ipsilateral temporopolar, parahippocampal, entorhinal, and fusiform gyri, contralateral pars triangularis, and bilateral precuneus, superior frontal and caudal middle frontal gyri were observed in left, but not right, MTLE (d = \ue2 '0.29 to \ue2 '0.54; P &lt; 1.49 7 10 \ue2 '4). Contrastingly, thickness differences of the ipsilateral pars opercularis, and contralateral transverse temporal gyrus, were observed in right, but not left, MTLE (d = \ue2 '0.27 to \ue2 '0.51; P &lt; 1.49 7 10 \ue2 '4). Lower subcortical volume and cortical thickness associated with a longer duration of epilepsy in the all-epilepsies, all-other-epilepsies, and right MTLE groups (beta, b &lt; \ue2 '0.0018; P &lt; 1.49 7 10 \ue2 '4). In the largest neuroimaging study of epilepsy to date, we provide information on the common epilepsies that could not be realistically acquired in any other way. Our study provides a robust ranking of brain measures that can be further targeted for study in genetic and neuropathological studies. This worldwide initiative identifies patterns of shared grey matter reduction across epilepsy syndromes, and distinctive abnormalities between epilepsy syndromes, which inform our understanding of epilepsy as a network disorder, and indicate that certain epilepsy syndromes involve more widespread structural compromise than previously assumed