Levetiracetam Modulates EEG Microstates in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy
Lorenzo Ricci, Pierpaolo Croce, Patrizia Pulitano, Marilisa Boscarino, Filippo Zappasodi, Flavia Narducci, Jacopo Lanzone, Biagio Sancetta, Oriano Mecarelli, Vincenzo Di Lazzaro, Mario Tombini, Giovanni Assenza
Abstract
Abstract To determine the effects of Levetiracetam (LEV) therapy using EEG microstates analysis in a population of newly diagnosed Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) patients. We hypothesized that the impact of LEV therapy on the electrical activity of the brain can be globally explored using EEG microstates. Twenty-seven patients with TLE were examined. We performed resting-state microstate EEG analysis and compared microstate metrics between the EEG performed at baseline (EEG pre ) and after 3 months of LEV therapy (EEG post ). The microstates A, B, C and D emerged as the most stable. LEV induced a reduction of microstate B and D mean duration and occurrence per second ( p < 0.01). Additionally, LEV treatment increased the directional predominance of microstate A to C and microstate B to D ( p = 0.01). LEV treatment induces a modulation of resting-state EEG microstates in newly diagnosed TLE patients. Microstates analysis has the potential to identify a neurophysiological indicator of LEV therapeutic activity. This study of EEG microstates in people with epilepsy opens an interesting path to identify potential LEV activity biomarkers that may involve increased neuronal inhibition of the epileptic network.