Double Dissociation of Parahippocampal and Amygdalar fMRI Activation in Patients with Mesial Temporal Lobe Epilepsy

Functional MRI of limbic mesial temporal lobe structures may help to tailor epilepsy surgery in patients with refractory mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE). We have shown earlier that fMRI well lateralizes the side of MTLE by activation of the parahippocampal gyri. In addition, information about the integrity or dysfunction of the amygdala may influence the decision about the anterior extension of the resection. The amygdala is involved in several processes like emotion, memory enhancement, attention modulation and social cognition. Although only in a minority of surgical patients, postoperative deficits in so…