Neocortical Epilepsies - Do They Progress?
Neocortical Epilepsies - Do They Progress?
This study will use MRI and PET scan to compare the brain imaging results between epilepsy
 patients and normal healthy controls, also to study changes in 3 years.
We would like to continue analyzing the structural and metabolic differences between two
 epilepsy groups (JME and FLE) and the control to understand the imaging presentations of
 epilepsy patients
Controls (20 Subjects):

 Inclusion criteria:

 -  Ages 18-65, based on the usual ages of patients seen in the adult neurology services
 who are not likely to suffer from the exclusions (see below).

 Exclusion criteria:

 -  History of seizures, faints, or any unexplained blackouts.

 -  Use of neuroleptic medications or sedating doses of antianxiety or antidepressant
 drugs.

 -  They should not have a clear family history of epilepsy (first degree relatives).

 -  History of any substance abuse within the past 5 years.

 -  History of progressive medical or neurologic disease (Parkinson's, severe congestive
 heart failure). Controlled hypertension, diabetes (by oral medications or diet),
 asthma, etc will not be excluded.

 -  History of stroke without complete recovery of neurologic function.

 -  Pregnancy

 -  With any metallic implants, including surgical clips (hemostatic clips), pacemakers,
 neuro-stimulation devices, prosthetic heart valves, or other ferromagnetic material.

 -  Inability to understand the consent. (standard form attached)

 -  Inability to speak fluent English. Note: the neuropsychological tests are standardized
 for English speakers. They are not all available in multiple languages. Since the
 scoring and norms are established for English speakers, simply translating them would
 still not make the testing norms and scoring applicable.

 Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy (JME; 20 Subjects):

 Inclusion Criteria:

 -  Ages 18-65, based on the usual ages of patients seen in the adult neurology services
 who are not likely to suffer from the exclusions (see below), plus

 -  History of myoclonic plus tonic-clonic or clonic-tonic-clonic seizures with or without
 absence seizures.

 -  EEG consistent with primary generalized epilepsy (>/= 3 c/s generalized, frontal
 maximum, poly spike and wave; normal alpha)

 Exclusion Criteria

 -  History of significant head injury (> 30 min loss of consciousness)

 -  Use of neuroleptic drugs or sedative doses of antianxiety or antidepressant drugs

 -  History of any substance abuse within the past 5 years

 -  Presence of epileptogenic brain lesion on MRI (tumor, stroke, cortical congenital
 dysplasia, etc; excluding normal variants, mild subcortical white matter ischemic
 change, venous angiomas).

 -  EEG with focal epileptiform potentials or polymorphic slowing

 -  History of progressive medical or neurologic disease (Parkinson's, severe congestive
 heart failure). Controlled hypertension, diabetes (by oral medications or diet),
 asthma, etc will not be excluded.

 -  History of stroke without complete recovery of neurologic function.

 -  Pregnancy

 -  With any metallic implants, including surgical clips (hemostatic clips), pacemakers,
 neuro-stimulation devices, prosthetic heart valves, or other ferromagnetic material.

 -  Inability to speak fluent English

 Frontal Lobe Epilepsy (FLE; 20 Subjects):

 Inclusion Criteria

 -  Ages 18-65, based on the usual ages of patients seen in the adult neurology services
 who are not likely to suffer from the exclusions (see below), plus:

 -  Seizure semiology (behavior) consistent with FLE

 -  Interictal EEG spikes consistent with FLE or

 -  Ictal video-EEG consistent with FLE

 -  Frontal lobe lesion of MRI

 -  Frontal hypometabolism on FDG-PET

 Exclusion Criteria:

 -  Presence of seizure semiology, ictal EEG, interictal EEG, MRI or PET findings that are
 not consistent with a frontal lobe epilepsy focus.

 -  Use of neuroleptic drugs or sedative doses of antianxiety or antidepressant drugs

 -  History of any substance abuse within the past 5 years

 -  History of progressive medical or neurologic disease (Parkinson's, severe congestive
 heart failure). Controlled hypertension, diabetes (by oral medications or diet),
 asthma, etc will not be excluded.

 -  History of stroke without complete recovery of neurologic function.

 -  Pregnancy

 -  With any metallic implants, including surgical clips (hemostatic clips), pacemakers,
 neuro-stimulation devices, prosthetic heart valves, or other ferromagnetic material.

 -  Absence of either a radial or ulnar arterial pulse

 -  Inability to speak fluent English