Elsevier

Medical Hypotheses

Volume 54, Issue 5, May 2000, Pages 717-720
Medical Hypotheses

Regular Article
Vascular steal model of human temporal lobe epileptogenicity: the relationship between electrocorticographic interhemispheric propagation time and cerebral blood flow

https://doi.org/10.1054/mehy.1999.0937Get rights and content

Abstract

Human temporal lobe epileptogenicity (i.e. seizure frequency) depends on epileptic and non-epileptic cerebral blood flow (CBF). Increasing non-epileptic cortical CBF is associated with reduction in epileptic cortical CBF. Seizure frequency increases logarithmically with non-epileptic cortical CBF increase and epileptic cortical CBF reduction. A model of human temporal lobe epileptogenicity is derived from the mathematical equivalence to the logarithmic function of seizure frequency of (a) epileptic and non-epileptic CBF differential and (b) electrocorticographic (ECoG) interhemispheric propagation time (IHPT). The vascular steal model of human temporal lobe epileptogenicity suggests that a small CBF redistribution from non-epileptic to epileptic cortex should produce substantial reduction in temporal lobe seizure frequency in association with prolongation of IHPT. The equivalence of these CBF and ECoG parameters to the logarithmic function of seizure frequency suggests that the interhemispheric temporal lobe perfusion gradient and ECoG propagation time may be involved in the fundamental perturbation responsible for human temporal lobe epileptogenicity.

References (21)

  • NIH Consens Dev Conf Consens Statement

    (1990)
  • M. LaManna et al.

    Initial experience with SPECT imaging of the brain using I-123 p-iodoamphetamine in focal epilepsy

    Clin Nucl Med

    (1989)
  • H. Stefan et al.

    Regional cerebral blood flow during focal seizures of temporal and frontocentral onset

    Ann Neurol

    (1990)
  • M.E. Weinand et al.

    Cerebral blood flow and temporal lobe epileptogenicity

    J Neurosurg

    (1997)
  • M.E. Weinand et al.

    Temporal lobe ischemia and epileptogenicity: Long-term cortical cerebral blood flow analysis of sequential seizures

    Surgical Forum

    (1995)
  • U.W. Baluenstein et al.

    133Xenon inhalation method: Analysis of reproducibility: Some of its physiological implications

    Stroke

    (1977)
  • A. Dahl et al.

    A comparison of transcranial doppler and cerebral blood flow studies to assess cerebral vasoreactivity

    Stroke

    (1992)
  • W. Penfield

    Remarks on incomplete hypotheses for the control of cerebral circulation

    J Neurosurg

    (1971)
  • W. Penfield

    The evidence for a cerebral vascular mechanism in epilepsy

    Ann Int Med

    (1933)
  • S. Bernardi et al.

    An interictal study of partial epilepsy using positron emission tomography and the oxygen-15 inhalation technique

    J Neurol Neurosurg Psychiatry

    (1983)
There are more references available in the full text version of this article.

Cited by (12)

View all citing articles on Scopus
View full text