Evaluation of left ventricular diastolic function by tissue Doppler imaging in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated primary generalized epilepsy

PURPOSE The effects of epilepsy and seizures on cardiac functions have been documented, and this association has drawn attention in recent years. The aim of this study was to investigate left ventricle (LV) diastolic function by tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) in patients with newly diagnosed and untreated primary generalized epilepsy (PGE). METHOD Thirty newly diagnosed and untreated PGE patients (14 females, mean age 27.60±9.64 years) and 30 healthy age- and gender-matched control subjects (14 females, mean age 29.47±6.89 years) were included in the study. The LV functions of the study cohort were evaluated using conventional echocardiography and TDI. RESULTS There were no significant differences found between the two groups regarding the left atrium diameter, left atrium volume index, interventricular septum and posterior wall thickness, LV end diastolic diameter, and LV end diastolic volume (p>0.05 for each parameter). PGE patients exhibited a higher LV end systolic diameter and LV end systolic volume compared to the controls (p<0.001 for each parameter). Thus, the fractional shortening and ejection fraction were lower in the PGE patients (p<0.001 for each parameter). The E to average e' ratio, the most important noninvasive indicator of LV filling pressure, was significantly higher in patients with PGE (8.31±2.78 vs. 6.95±1.26, p=0.018). CONCLUSION The present study reports the systolic and diastolic dysfunction of LV in newly diagnosed PGE patients compared to control subjects. Taken together, the screening of epileptic patients using conventional echocardiography and TDI may be useful to evaluate the effects of epilepsy on cardiac functions.