Ümmühan Eğilmez, Selda Keskin Güler
Archives of Epilepsy - 2026;32(2):41-45
Objective: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is an idiopathic generalized epilepsy syndrome with age-dependent onset. The corpus callosum (CC), the largest commissural pathway connecting the two cerebral hemispheres, has been reported to undergo structural alterations in epilepsy. However, data regarding morphometric CC changes in JME patients and their prognostic implications remain limited. This study aimed to determine whether regional differences exist in CC morphometric measurements in JME patients and whether these measurements have prognostic value. Methods: Magnetic resonance imaging scans of 40 JME patients and 20 age- and sex-matched healthy controls were evaluated. CC measurements were obtained from midsagittal T1-weighted images and included the anterior-posterior (A-P) diameter and the perpendicular diameters of the genu, truncus, and splenium. Results: A total of 40 patients with JME and 20 healthy controls were included. The genu thickness of the CC was significantly reduced in patients compared with controls, whereas the truncus, splenium, and A-P diameters did not differ. In sex-based analyses, male patients showed a greater A-P diameter than female patients, while no sex differences were observed among controls. No correlations were identified between CC measurements and age, disease duration, seizure type, or seizure frequency. Patients receiving polytherapy and patients treated with valproic acid exhibited significantly larger A-P diameters than patients receiving monotherapy and patients treated with levetiracetam, respectively . Conclusion: JME is associated with region-specific structural alterations of the CC, particularly a reduced thickness of the genu. These changes appear unrelated to clinical severity markers such as seizure type, frequency, or disease duration, suggesting a predominantly developmental or genetic basis. The enlarged A-P diameter observed in male patients and those receiving valproic acid or polytherapy may reflect sex- or treatment-related influences on callosal morphology. Further prospective studies using advanced imaging modalities are needed to clarify the clinical significance of these findings.
