ObjectiveTo construct a map of cerebral cortex thickness in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE) diagnosed at the first visit, using T1-weighted brain magnetic resonance imaging and advanced image analysis software. MethodsHigh-resolution three-dimensional T1 images were obtained from 27 IGE patients diagnosed at the first visit and 29 normal controls in Shouguang People's Hospital from January 1, 2022 to December 31, 2021. The location recognition calculation system of the Freesurfer software was used to calculate the values of cortical thickness in each brain region, and the cortical thickness values were transformed into a brain atlas using the image analysis software. A differential brain atlas was generated using the two-sample t-test to analyze the difference in cortical thickness between IGE patients and normal controls. Paired t-test was used for within-group comparison to explore changes of cortical thickness laterality. ResultsIn the IGE brain atlas, the brain regions with higher cortical thickness were the right left temporal pole, the right left entorhinal cortex, the head of the right anterior cingulate gyrus, the right and left insular lobe, the right and left middle temporal gyrus, the right inferior temporal gyrus, the head of the left anterior cingulate gyrus, the left tail of the anterior cingulate gyrus, the left inferior temporal gyrus, the left and right fusiform gyrus, and the left frontal pole. The areas with lower cortical thickness were the right and left paracalcaric gyrus, the right and left cuneiform lobe, the left and right lingual gyrus, the left and right posterior central gyrus, the left lateral occipital gyrus, and the right and left superior parietal gyrus. The distribution of cortical thickness of the IGE group was comparable to the cortical thickness atlas of the normal control. Compared with normal control, the areas with changes of cortical thickness in the IGE group were bilateral superior frontal gyrus, bilateral posterior central gyrus, bilateral anterior central gyri, bilateral lingual gyri, left cuneiform lobe, bilateral entorhinal cortex and temporal pole. The brain areas with laterality of cortical thickness between hemispheres in the IGE group were the tail of anterior cingulate gyrus, cuneiform lobe, inferior parietal gyrus, lateral occipital gyrus, posterior central gyrus, head of anterior cingulate gyrus, and superior marginal gyrus. Compared with normal control, the IGE group has decreased number of brain regions with laterality of cortical thickness. ConclusionThe present study revealed the distribution and laterality of cerebral cortical thickness map in early idiopathic generalized epilepsy, which provides imaging structural basis for brain research in the future.