Abstract #3333

Mapping Glutamate and Neural Fragility in Drug Refractory Pediatric Epilepsy using Ultrafast High Resolution MRSI

Bingyang Cai¹, Haiqing Zhang¹, Yibo Zhao², Yudu Li^2,3,4, Wen Jin^2,5, Jiwei Li¹, Feng Han⁶, Li Liu⁶, Guanghai Wang⁷, Xiaolai Ye⁶, Jie Luo¹, and Zhi‑Pei Liang^2,5

¹School of Biomedical Engineering, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai, China, ²Beckman Institute for Advanced Sciences and Technology, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, ³Department of Bioengineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, ⁴National Center for Supercomputing Applications, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, ⁵Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign, Urbana, IL, United States, ⁶Department of Neurology, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China, ⁷Department of Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics, Shanghai Children's Medical Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University School of Medicine, Shanghai, China

Synopsis

Keywords: Epilepsy, Molecular Imaging

Motivation: Epilepsy is characterized by recurrent seizures driven by imbalance between excitation and inhibition (E/I) in the brain. Neural fragility, reflecting E/I imbalance, may be associated with increased glutamate levels, but non-invasive mapping of these neurotransmitters has been challenging.

Goal(s): We hypothesize that glutamate level is associated with neural fragility, and we plan to explore whether molecular profiles can predict neural fragility non-invasively.

Approach: High-resolution MRSI and SEEG data from pediatric epilepsy patients and healthy controls will be analyzed to map neurotransmitter distributions and correlate them with neural fragility. LASSO regression is used to identify important metabolic predictors of neural fragility.

Impact: This study will unveil the underlying molecular mechanism behind neural fragility, the SEEG marker of E/I imbalance. Identification of non-invasive brain imaging markers of neural fragility could potentially enhance epilepsy diagnosis and presurgical planning.

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