Reduced default mode network connectivity in treatment-resistant idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Epileptic brain network mechanisms and neuroimaging techniques for the brain network

Epilepsy can be defined as a dysfunction of the brain network, and each type of epilepsy involves different brain-network changes that are implicated differently in the control and propagation of interictal or ictal discharges. Gaining more detailed information on brain network alterations can help us to further understand the mechanisms of epilepsy and pave the way for brain network-based precise therapeutic approaches in clinical practice. An increasing number of advanced neuroimaging techniques and electrophysiological techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging-based fiber tractography, diffusion kurtosis imaging-based fiber tractography, fiber ball imaging-based tractography, electroencephalography, functional magnetic resonance imaging, magnetoencephalography, positron emission tomography, molecular imaging, and functional ultrasound imaging have been extensively used to delineate epileptic networks. In this review, we summarize the relevant neuroimaging and neuroelectrophysiological techniques for assessing structural and functional brain networks in patients with epilepsy, and extensively analyze the imaging mechanisms, advantages, limitations, and clinical application ranges of each technique. A greater focus on emerging advanced technologies, new data analysis software, a combination of multiple techniques, and the construction of personalized virtual epilepsy models can provide a theoretical basis to better understand the brain network mechanisms of epilepsy and make surgical decisions.

Drug-resistant juvenile myoclonic epilepsy: A literature review

The ILAE's Task Force on Nosology and Definitions revised in 2022 its definition of juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME), the most common idiopathic generalized epilepsy disorder, but this definition may well change again in the future. Although good drug response could almost be a diagnostic criterion for JME, drug resistance (DR) is observed in up to a third of patients. It is important to distinguish this from pseudoresistance, which is often linked to psychosocial problems or psychiatric comorbidities. After summarizing these aspects and the various definitions applied to JME, the present review lists the risk factors for DR-JME that have been identified in numerous studies and meta-analyses. The factors most often cited are absence seizures, young age at onset, and catamenial seizures. By contrast, photosensitivity seems to favor good treatment response, at least in female patients. Current hypotheses on DR mechanisms in JME are based on studies of either simple (e.g., cortical excitability) or more complex (e.g., anatomical and functional connectivity) neurophysiological markers, bearing in mind that JME is regarded as a neural network disease. This research has revealed correlations between the intensity of some markers and DR, and above all shed light on the role of these markers in associated neurocognitive and neuropsychiatric disorders in both patients and their siblings. Studies of neurotransmission have mainly pointed to impaired GABAergic inhibition. Genetic studies have generally been inconclusive. Increasing restrictions have been placed on the use of valproate, the standard antiseizure medication for this syndrome, owing to its teratogenic and developmental risks. Levetiracetam and lamotrigine are prescribed as alternatives, as is vagal nerve stimulation, and there are several other promising antiseizure drugs and neuromodulation methods. The development of better alternative treatments is continuing to take place alongside advances in our knowledge of JME, as we still have much to learn and understand.

The landscape of drug resistant absence seizures in adolescents and adults: Pathophysiology, electroclinical spectrum and treatment options

The persistence of typical absence seizures (AS) in adolescence and adulthood may reduce the quality of life of patients with genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs). The prevalence of drug resistant AS is probably underestimated in this patient population, and treatment options are relatively scarce. Similarly, atypical absence seizures in developmental and epileptic encephalopathies (DEEs) may be unrecognized, and often persist into adulthood despite improvement of more severe seizures. These two seemingly distant conditions, represented by typical AS in GGE and atypical AS in DEE, share at least partially overlapping pathophysiological and genetic mechanisms, which may be the target of drug and neurostimulation therapies. In addition, some patients with drug-resistant typical AS may present electroclinical features that lie in between the two extremes represented by these generalized forms of epilepsy.

Resting-state functional MRI study of conventional MRI-negative intractable epilepsy in children

Objective

The study aimed at investigating functional connectivity strength (FCS) changes in children with MRI-negative intractable epilepsy (ITE) and evaluating correlations between aberrant FCS and both disease duration and intelligence quotient (IQ).

Methods

Fifteen children with ITE, 24 children with non-intractable epilepsy (nITE) and 25 matched healthy controls (HCs) were subjected to rs-fMRI. IQ was evaluated by neuropsychological assessment. Voxelwise analysis of covariance was conducted in the whole brain, and then pairwise comparisons were made across three groups using Bonferroni corrections.

Results

FCS was significantly different among three groups. Relative to HCs, ITE patients exhibited decreased FCS in right temporal pole of the superior temporal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, bilateral precuneus, etc and increased FCS values in left triangular part of the inferior frontal gyrus, parahippocampal gyrus, supplementary motor area, caudate and right calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex and midbrain. The nITE patients presented decreased FCS in right orbital superior frontal gyrus, precuneus etc and increased FCS in bilateral fusiform gyri, parahippocampal gyri, etc. In comparison to nITE patients, the ITE patients presented decreased FCS in right medial superior frontal gyrus and left inferior temporal gyrus and increased FCS in right middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus and calcarine fissure and surrounding cortex. Correlation analysis indicated that FCS in left caudate demonstrated correlation with verbal IQ (VIQ) and disease duration.

Conclusion

ITE patients demonstrated changed FCS values in the temporal and prefrontal cortices relative to nITE patients, which may be related to drug resistance in epilepsy. FCS in the left caudate nucleus associated with VIQ, suggesting the caudate may become a key target for improving cognitive impairment and seizures in children with ITE.

Structural and functional abnormalities in first-episode drug-naïve pediatric idiopathic generalized epilepsy

The aim of this study was to investigate brain structure and corresponding static and dynamic functional connectivity (sFC & dFC) abnormalities in untreated, first-episode pediatric idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), with the goal of better understanding the underlying pathological mechanisms of IGE. Thirty-one children with IGE and 31 age-matched healthy controls (HC) were recruited. Structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI) data were acquired, and voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis were performed to reveal abnormal gray matter volume (GMV). Moreover, sFC and dFC analyses were conducted using the brain areas exhibiting abnormal GMV as seed regions to explore abnormal functional couplings. Compared to HC, the IGE group exhibited increased GMV in left middle cingulate cortex (MCC) and right parahippocampus (ParaHipp). In addition, the analyses of dFC and sFC with MCC and ParaHipp as seeds revealed more extensive functional connectivity (FC) changes in dFC. Notably, the structurally and functionally abnormal brain areas were primarily localized in the default mode network (DMN). However, our study did not find any significant associations between these altered neuroimaging measurements and clinical outcomes. This study uncovered microstructural changes as well as corresponding sFC and dFC changes in patients with new-onset, untreated pediatric IGE. The affected brain regions were primarily located within the DMN, highlighting the DMN's crucial role in the development of pediatric IGE.

Reproducible network changes occur in a mouse model of temporal lobe epilepsy but do not correlate with disease severity

Studying the development of brain network disruptions in epilepsy is challenged by the paucity of data before epilepsy onset. Here, we used the unilateral, kainate mouse model of hippocampal epilepsy to investigate brain network changes before and after epilepsy onset and their stability across time. Using 32 epicranial electrodes distributed over the mouse hemispheres, we analyzed EEG epochs free from epileptic activity in 15 animals before and 28 days after hippocampal injection (group 1) and in 20 animals on two consecutive days (d28 and d29, group 2). Statistical dependencies between electrodes were characterized with the debiased-weighted phase lag index. We analyzed: a) graph metric changes from baseline to chronic stage (d28) in group 1; b) their reliability across d28 and d29, in group 2; c) their correlation with epileptic activity (EA: seizure, spike and fast-ripple rates), averaged over d28 and d29, in group 2. During the chronic stage, intra-hemispheric connections of the non-injected hemisphere strengthened, yielding an asymmetrical network in low (4-8 Hz) and high theta (8-12 Hz) bands. The contralateral hemisphere also became more integrated and segregated within the high theta band. Both network topology and EEG markers of EA were stable over consecutive days but not correlated with each other. Altogether, we show reproducible large-scale network modifications after the development of focal epilepsy. These modifications are mostly specific to the non-injected hemisphere. The absence of correlation with epileptic activity does not allow to specifically ascribe these network changes to mechanisms supporting EA or rather compensatory inhibition but supports the notion that epilepsy extends beyond the sole repetition of EA and impacts network that might not be involved in EA generation.

Association of symptoms of psychiatric disease and electroencephalographic patterns in idiopathic generalized epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Idiopathic generalized epilepsies (IGE) are genetic epilepsies with alterations of thalamo-frontocortical circuits that play a major role in seizure generation and propagation. Psychiatric diseases and drug resistance are strongly associated, but it remains unknown if they are symptoms of the same pathophysiological process. Hypothesizing that the same network alterations are associated with the frequency of epileptic discharges (ED) and psychiatric symptoms, we here tested the association of self-reported psychiatric symptoms and IGE severity estimated by electroencephalographic (EEG) biomarkers.

METHODS

Idiopathic generalized epilepsies patients were asked to fill out four validated psychiatric screening tools assessing symptoms of personality disorders (Standard Assessment of Personality- Abbreviated Scale), depression (Major Depression Inventory), impulsiveness (Barratt Impulsiveness Scale), and anxiety (brief Epilepsy Anxiety Survey Instrument). Blinded to results and clinical data on the patients, we analyzed the patients' EEGs, assessed, and quantified ED. The number and duration of ED divided by the duration of the EEG served as a proxy for the severity of IGE that was correlated with the results of the psychiatric screening.

RESULTS

Paired data from 64 patients were available for analysis. The duration of EDs per minute EEG was inversely associated with the time since the last seizure. The number of patients with generalized polyspike trains (n = 2), generalized paroxysmal fast activity (n = 3), and prolonged epileptiform discharges (n = 10) were too low for statistically meaningful analyses. Self-reported symptoms of depression, personality disorder, and impulsivity were not associated with EDs. In contrast, the duration of EDs per minute EEG was associated with self-reported symptoms of anxiety in univariate analyses, not significant, however, following adjustment for time since the last seizure in regression models.

SIGNIFICANCE

Self-reported symptoms of psychiatric diseases were not strongly associated with EDs as the best available quantifiable biomarker of IGE severity. As expected, the duration of EDs per minute and anxiety was inversely associated with time since the last seizure. Our data argue against a direct link between the frequency of EDs - as an objective proxy of IGE severity - and psychiatric symptoms.

Brain Connectivity Correlates of Breathing and Cardiac Irregularities in SUDEP: A Resting-State fMRI Study

Sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP) is the leading cause of premature mortality among people with epilepsy. Evidence from witnessed and monitored SUDEP cases indicate seizure-induced cardiovascular and respiratory failures; yet, the underlying mechanisms remain obscure. SUDEP occurs often during the night and early morning hours, suggesting that sleep or circadian rhythm-induced changes in physiology contribute to the fatal event. Resting-state fMRI studies have found altered functional connectivity between brain structures involved in cardiorespiratory regulation in later SUDEP cases and in individuals at high-risk of SUDEP. However, those connectivity findings have not been related to changes in cardiovascular or respiratory patterns. Here, we compared fMRI patterns of brain connectivity associated with regular and irregular cardiorespiratory rhythms in SUDEP cases with those of living epilepsy patients of varying SUDEP risk, and healthy controls. We analysed resting-state fMRI data from 98 patients with epilepsy (9 who subsequently succumbed to SUDEP, 43 categorized as low SUDEP risk (no tonic-clonic seizures (TCS) in the year preceding the fMRI scan), and 46 as high SUDEP risk (>3 TCS in the year preceding the scan)) and 25 healthy controls. The global signal amplitude (GSA), defined as the moving standard deviation of the fMRI global signal, was used to identify periods with regular ('low state') and irregular ('high state') cardiorespiratory rhythms. Correlation maps were derived from seeds in twelve regions with a key role in autonomic or respiratory regulation, for the low and high states. Following principal component analysis, component weights were compared between the groups. We found widespread alterations in connectivity of precuneus/posterior cingulate cortex in epilepsy compared to controls, in the low state (regular cardiorespiratory activity). In the low state, and to a lesser degree in the high state, reduced anterior insula connectivity (mainly with anterior and posterior cingulate cortex) in epilepsy appeared, relative to healthy controls. For SUDEP cases, the insula connectivity differences were inversely related to the interval between the fMRI scan and death. The findings suggest that anterior insula connectivity measures may provide a biomarker of SUDEP risk. The neural correlates of autonomic brain structures associated with different cardiorespiratory rhythms may shed light on the mechanisms underlying terminal apnea observed in SUDEP.

Drug resistance in idiopathic generalized epilepsies: Evidence and concepts

Although approximately 10%-15% of patients with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE)/genetic generalized epilepsy remain drug-resistant, there is no consensus or established concept regarding the underlying mechanisms and prevalence. This review summarizes the recent data and the current hypotheses on mechanisms that may contribute to drug-resistant IGE. A literature search was conducted in PubMed and Embase for studies on mechanisms of drug resistance published since 1980. The literature shows neither consensus on the definition nor a widely accepted model to explain drug resistance in IGE or one of its subsyndromes. Large-scale genetic studies have failed to identify distinct genetic causes or affected genes involved in pharmacokinetics. We found clinical and experimental evidence in support of four hypotheses: (1) "network hypothesis"-the degree of drug resistance in IGE reflects the severity of cortical network alterations, (2) "minor focal lesion in a predisposed brain hypothesis"-minor cortical lesions are important for drug resistance, (3) "interneuron hypothesis"-impaired functioning of γ-aminobutyric acidergic interneurons contributes to drug resistance, and (4) "changes in drug kinetics"-genetically impaired kinetics of antiseizure medication (ASM) reduce the effectiveness of available ASMs. In summary, the exact definition and cause of drug resistance in IGE is unknown. However, published evidence suggests four different mechanisms that may warrant further investigation.

Understanding frontal lobe function in epilepsy: Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy vs. frontal lobe epilepsy

AIM

To compare neuropsychological function in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) since frontal circuitry is involved in both conditions. By drawing on previously theory-guided hypotheses and findings, a particular emphasis is placed on the way different cognitive-pathophysiological mechanisms act upon to produce frontal dysfunction in JME (frontal-executive and attention-related problems: vigilance, reaction times, processing speed, and response inhibition) and in FLE (reflecting the coproduct of the functional deficit zone), respectively.

METHODS

A total of 16 patients with JME, 34 patients with FLE, and 48 normal controls, all matched for age and education, were administered a comprehensive battery of tests to assess frontal-executive functions, as well as attention, memory, and learning domains. Participants did not take medications other than antiepileptics or have a psychiatric history.

RESULTS

Patients with FLE overall showed worse neuropsychological performance compared to both JME and HCs. With respect to JME, patients with FLE did significantly worse in measures of verbal and nonverbal executive function, short-term-, and long-term- auditory-verbal memory and learning, immediate and delayed episodic recall, visual attention and motor function, visuo-motor coordination and psychomotor speed, speed of visual information processing, and vocabulary. Patients with JME performed significantly worse compared to FLE only in associative semantic processing, while the former outperformed all groups in vocabulary, visuomotor coordination, and psychomotor speed.

CONCLUSION

We suggest that selective impairments of visual- and mostly auditory-speed of information processing, vigilance, and response inhibition may represent a salient neuropsychological feature in JME. These findings suggest the existence of an aberrantly working executive-attention system, secondary to pathological reticulo-thalamo-cortical dynamics. Contrariwise, cortically (frontal and extra-frontal) and subcortically induced malfunction in FLE is determined by the functional deficit zone i.e., the ensemble of cortical and subcortical areas that are functionally abnormal between seizures.

Altered brain activity in juvenile myoclonic epilepsy with a monotherapy: a resting-state fMRI study

Background

Juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) is the most common syndrome of idiopathic generalized epilepsy. Although resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) studies have found thalamocortical circuit dysfunction in patients with JME, the pathophysiological mechanism of JME remains unclear. In this study, we used three complementary parameters of rs-fMRI to investigate aberrant brain activity in JME patients in comparison to that of healthy controls.

Methods

Rs-fMRI and clinical data were acquired from 49 patients with JME undergoing monotherapy and 44 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. After fMRI data preprocessing, the fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (fALFF), regional homogeneity (ReHo), and degree centrality (DC) were calculated and compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis was conducted to explore the relationship between local brain abnormalities and clinical features in JME patients.

Results

Compared with the controls, the JME patients exhibited significantly decreased fALFF, ReHo and DC in the cerebellum, inferior parietal lobe, and visual cortex (including the fusiform and the lingual and middle occipital gyri), and increased DC in the right orbitofrontal cortex. In the JME patients, there were no regions with reduced ReHo compared to the controls. No significant correlation was observed between regional abnormalities of fALFF, ReHo or DC, and clinical features.

Conclusions

We demonstrated a wide range of abnormal functional activity in the brains of patients with JME, including the prefrontal cortex, visual cortex, default mode network, and cerebellum. The results suggest dysfunctions of the cerebello-cerebral circuits, which provide a clue on the potential pathogenesis of JME.

Alterations of Cerebral Perfusion and Functional Connectivity in Children With Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy

Background

Studies have demonstrated that adults with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) have functional abnormalities; however, the neuropathological pathogenesis differs between adults and children. This study aimed to explore alterations in the cerebral blood flow (CBF) and functional connectivity (FC) to comprehensively elucidate the neuropathological mechanisms of IGE in children.

Methods

We obtained arterial spin labeling (ASL) and resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging data of 28 children with IGE and 35 matched controls. We used ASL to determine differential CBF regions in children with IGE. A seed-based whole-brain FC analysis was performed for regions with significant CBF changes. The mean CBF and FC of brain areas with significant group differences was extracted, then its correlation with clinical variables in IGE group was analyzed by using Pearson correlation analysis.

Results

Compared to controls, children with IGE had CBF abnormalities that were mainly observed in the right middle temporal gyrus, right middle occipital gyrus (MOG), right superior frontal gyrus (SFG), left inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), and triangular part of the left IFG (IFGtriang). We observed that the FC between the left IFGtriang and calcarine fissure (CAL) and that between the right MOG and bilateral CAL were decreased in children with IGE. The CBF in the right SFG was correlated with the age at IGE onset. FC in the left IFGtriang and left CAL was correlated with the IGE duration.

Conclusion

This study found that CBF and FC were altered simultaneously in the left IFGtriang and right MOG of children with IGE. The combination of CBF and FC may provide additional information and insight regarding the pathophysiology of IGE from neuronal and vascular integration perspectives.

Deep learning resting state fMRI lateralization of temporal lobe epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Localization of focal epilepsy is critical for surgical treatment of refractory seizures. There remains a great need for non-invasive techniques to localize seizures for surgical decision-making. We investigate the use of deep learning using resting state functional MRI (RS-fMRI) to identify the hemisphere of seizure onset in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients.

METHODS

2132 healthy controls and 32 pre-operative TLE patients were studied. All participants underwent structural MRI and RS-fMRI. Healthy control data was used to generate training samples for a 3D convolutional neural network (3DCNN). RS-fMRI was synthetically altered in randomly lateralized regions in the healthy control participants. The model was then trained to classify the hemisphere containing synthetic noise. Finally, the model was tested on TLE patients to assess its performance for detecting biological seizure-onset zones, and gradient-weighted class activation mapping (Grad-CAM) identified the strongest predictive regions.

RESULTS

The 3DCNN classified healthy control hemispheres known to contain synthetic noise with 96% accuracy, and TLE hemispheres clinically identified to be seizure onset zones with 90.6% accuracy. Grad-CAM identified a range of temporal, frontal, parietal, and subcortical regions that were strong anatomical predictors of the seizure onset zone, while the resting state networks which colocalized with Grad-CAM results included default mode, medial temporal, and dorsal attention networks. Lastly, in an analysis of a subset of patients with post-surgical outcomes, the 3DCNN leveraged a more focal set of regions to achieve classification in patients with Engel class > 1 compared to Engel class 1.

SIGNIFICANCE

Non-invasive techniques capable of localizing the seizure-onset zone could improve pre-surgical planning in patients with intractable epilepsy. We have demonstrated the ability of deep learning to identify the correct hemisphere of the seizure onset zone in TLE patients using RS-fMRI with high accuracy. This approach represents a novel technique of seizure lateralization that could improve preoperative surgical planning.

Brainwaves beyond diagnosis: Wider applications of electroencephalography in idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Electroencephalography (EEG) has long been used as a versatile and noninvasive diagnostic tool in epilepsy. With the advent of digital EEG, more advanced applications of EEG have emerged. Compared with technologically advanced practice in focal epilepsies, the utilization of EEG in idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) has been lagging, often restricted to a simple diagnostic tool. In this narrative review, we provide an overview of broader applications of EEG beyond this narrow scope, discussing how the current clinical and research applications of EEG may potentially be extended to IGE. The current literature, although limited, suggests that EEG can be used in syndromic classification, guiding antiseizure medication therapy, predicting prognosis, unraveling biorhythms, and investigating functional brain connectivity of IGE. We emphasize the need for longer recordings, particularly 24-h ambulatory EEG, to capture discharges reflecting circadian and sleep-wake cycle-associated variations for wider EEG applications in IGE. Finally, we highlight the challenges and limitations of the current body of literature and suggest future directions to encourage and enhance more extensive applications of this potent tool.

Heterozygous missense mutation of the RELN gene is one of the causes of epilepsy

OBJECTIVES

Genetic factors play an important role in the onset of epilepsy, and the involvement of the RELN gene was recently discovered. This paper reports a family with a history of epilepsy caused by a heterozygous missense mutation in the RELN gene.

METHODS

After a clear diagnosis was made in the proband with a family history of epilepsy, gene sequencing was performed on the proband and his family members.

RESULTS

The proband was a 19-year-old male who presented with general convulsions during sleep lasting for about 1 min and was relieved spontaneously. His father and grandmother also experienced seizures. The gene sequencing results of the proband, his mother, and his grandmother showed that both the proband and his grandmother carried the same heterozygous missense mutation in the RELN gene (c.7909 C > T), unlike the proband's mother.

DISCUSSION

Mutations in the RELN gene can lead to the occurrence of benign epilepsy, though the specific type of seizures that it can cause is still unclear, and may increase the susceptibility to epilepsy. In addition, it may have potential anticancer effects.

Functional network topology in drug resistant and well-controlled idiopathic generalized epilepsy: a resting state functional MRI study

Despite an increasing number of drug treatment options for people with idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE), drug resistance remains a significant issue and the mechanisms underlying it remain poorly understood. Previous studies have largely focused on potential cellular or genetic explanations for drug resistance. However, epilepsy is understood to be a network disorder and there is a growing body of literature suggesting altered topology of large-scale resting networks in people with epilepsy compared with controls. We hypothesize that network alterations may also play a role in seizure control. The aim of this study was to compare resting state functional network structure between well-controlled IGE (WC-IGE), drug resistant IGE (DR-IGE) and healthy controls. Thirty-three participants with IGE (10 with WC-IGE and 23 with DR-IGE) and 34 controls were included. Resting state functional MRI networks were constructed using the Functional Connectivity Toolbox (CONN). Global graph theoretic network measures of average node strength (an equivalent measure to mean degree in a network that is fully connected), node strength distribution variance, characteristic path length, average clustering coefficient, small-world index and average betweenness centrality were computed. Graphs were constructed separately for positively weighted connections and for absolute values. Individual nodal values of strength and betweenness centrality were also measured and ‘hub nodes’ were compared between groups. Outcome measures were assessed across the three groups and between both groups with IGE and controls. The IGE group as a whole had a higher average node strength, characteristic path length and average betweenness centrality. There were no clear differences between groups according to seizure control. Outcome metrics were sensitive to whether negatively correlated connections were included in network construction. There were no clear differences in the location of ‘hub nodes’ between groups. The results suggest that, irrespective of seizure control, IGE interictal network topology is more regular and has a higher global connectivity compared to controls, with no alteration in hub node locations. These alterations may produce a resting state network that is more vulnerable to transitioning to the seizure state. It is possible that the lack of apparent influence of seizure control on network topology is limited by challenges in classifying drug response. It is also demonstrated that network topological features are influenced by the sign of connectivity weights and therefore future methodological work is warranted to account for anticorrelations in graph theoretic studies.

Regional and remote connectivity patterns in focal extratemporal lobe epilepsy

Background

Focal epilepsy accounts for most epilepsy cases, and frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) accounts for the largest proportion of cases of extratemporal epilepsy syndrome. The epileptogenic zone is usually not easy to locate, contributing to a lack of imaging studies. The objective of this study was to evaluate functional connectivity patterns to explore the underlying pathological mechanisms of this disorder.

Methods

Forty-three patients with focal extratemporal epilepsy [mean age ± standard deviation (SD): 29.51±8.04 years, 19 males] and the same number of healthy controls (mean age ± SD: 29.56±8.02 years, 19 males) were recruited to undergo functional magnetic resonance imaging. Mean regional homogeneity (ReHo) was measured, and regions showing significant alterations in ReHo in patients were identified to examine functional connectivity (FC). In particular, FC within the default mode network (DMN) in patients was analyzed.

Results

Patients with extratemporal lobe epilepsy showed significantly higher ReHo in the bilateral precentral gyrus, and lower ReHo in frontal-cerebellum regions than healthy controls [P<0.05, Gaussian random field (GRF)-corrected]. FC analysis based on regions of interest showed significantly higher connectivity in the frontoparietal-insula region and lowered FC in the frontal-cerebellum regions (P<0.05, GRF-corrected). Altered FC within DMN was also demonstrated (P<0.05, GRF-corrected).

Conclusions

Analyses of ReHo and FC based on regions of interest suggest epilepsy-related neural networks are located mainly in frontal regions in extratemporal lobe epilepsy. These findings reveal disruptions of interactions and connectivity of large-scale neural networks and frontotemporal-cerebellar regions, suggesting connectivity-based pathophysiology.

Pretreatment Source Location and Functional Connectivity Network Correlated With Therapy Response in Childhood Absence Epilepsy: A Magnetoencephalography Study

Objective: This study aims to investigate the differences between antiepileptic drug (AED) responders and nonresponders among patients with childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) using magnetoencephalography (MEG) and to additionally evaluate whether the neuromagnetic signals of the brain neurons were correlated with the response to therapy.

Methods: Twenty-four drug-naïve patients were subjected to MEG under six frequency bandwidths during ictal periods. The source location and functional connectivity were analyzed using accumulated source imaging and correlation analysis, respectively. All patients were treated with appropriate AED, at least 1 year after their MEG recordings, their outcome was assessed, and they were consequently divided into responders and nonresponders.

Results: The source location of the nonresponders was mainly in the frontal cortex at a frequency range of 8–12 and 30–80 Hz, especially 8–12 Hz, while the source location of the nonresponders was mostly in the medial frontal cortex, which was chosen as the region of interest. The nonresponders showed strong positive local frontal connections and deficient anterior and posterior connections at 80–250 Hz.

Conclusion: The frontal cortex and especially the medial frontal cortex at α band might be relevant to AED-nonresponsive CAE patients. The local frontal positive epileptic network at 80–250 Hz in our study might further reveal underlying cerebral abnormalities even before treatment in CAE patients, which could cause them to be nonresponsive to AED. One single mechanism cannot explain AED resistance; the nonresponders may represent a subgroup of CAE who is refractory to several antiepileptic drugs.

Recent Advances in Neuroimaging of Epilepsy

Human neuroimaging has had a major impact on the biological understanding of epilepsy and the relationship between pathophysiology, seizure management, and outcomes. This review highlights notable recent advancements in hardware, sequences, methods, analyses, and applications of human neuroimaging techniques utilized to assess epilepsy. These structural, functional, and metabolic assessments include magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET), and magnetoencephalography (MEG). Advancements that highlight non-invasive neuroimaging techniques used to study the whole brain are emphasized due to the advantages these provide in clinical and research applications. Thus, topics range across presurgical evaluations, understanding of epilepsy as a network disorder, and the interactions between epilepsy and comorbidities. New techniques and approaches are discussed which are expected to emerge into the mainstream within the next decade and impact our understanding of epilepsies. Further, an increasing breadth of investigations includes the interplay between epilepsy, mental health comorbidities, and aberrant brain networks. In the final section of this review, we focus on neuroimaging studies that assess bidirectional relationships between mental health comorbidities and epilepsy as a model for better understanding of the commonalities between both conditions.

Voxel-wise functional connectivity of the default mode network in epilepsies: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Background:

Default Mode Network (DMN) is recognized to be involved in the generation and propagation of epileptic activities in various epilepsies. Converging evidence has suggested disturbed Functional Connectivity (FC) in epilepsies, which was inferred to be related to underlying pathological mechanisms. However, abnormal changes of FC in DMN revealed by different studies are controversial, which obscures the role of DMN in distinct epilepsies.

Objective:

The present work aims to investigate the voxel-wise FC in DMN across epilepsies.

Methods:

A systematic review was conducted on 22 published articles before October 2020, indexed in PubMed and Web of Science. A meta-analysis with a random-effect model was performed using the effect-size signed differential mapping approach. Subgroup analyses were performed in three groups: Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy (IGE), mixed Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE), and mixed Focal Epilepsy (FE) with different foci.

Results:

The meta-analysis suggested commonly decreased FC in mesial prefrontal cortices across different epilepsies. Additionally decreased FC in posterior DMN was observed in IGE. The TLE showed decreased FC in temporal lobe regions and increased FC in the dorsal posterior cingulate cortex. Interestingly, an opposite finding in the ventral and dorsal middle frontal gyrus was observed in TLE. The FE demonstrated increased FC in the cuneus.

Systematically disrupted functional gradient of the cortical connectome in generalized epilepsy: Initial discovery and independent sample replication

Genetic generalized epilepsy is a network disorder typically involving distributed areas identified by classical neuroanatomy. However, the finer topological relationships in terms of continuous spatial arrangement between these systems are still ambiguous. Connectome gradients provide the topological representations of human macroscale hierarchy in an abstract low-dimensional space by embedding the functional connectome into a set of axes. Leveraging connectome gradients, we systematically scrutinized abnormalities of functional connectome gradient in patients with genetic generalized epilepsy with tonic-clonic seizure (GGE-GTCS, n = 78) compared to healthy controls (HC, n = 85), and further examined the reproducibility across multiple processing configurations and in an independent validation sample (patients with GGE-GTCS, n = 28; HC, n = 31). Our findings demonstrated an extended principal gradient at different spatial scales, network-level and vertex-level, in patients with GGE-GTCS. We found consistent results across processing parameters and in validation sample. The extended principal gradient revealed the excessive functional segregation between unimodal and transmodal systems associated with duration of epilepsy and age at seizure onset in patients. Furthermore, the connectivity profile of regions with abnormal principal gradients verified the disrupted functional hierarchy revealed by gradients. Together, our findings provided a novel view of functional system hierarchy alterations, which facilitated a continuous spatial arrangement of macroscale networks, to increase our understanding of the functional connectome hierarchy in generalized epilepsy.

Interictal electroencephalographic functional network topology in drug-resistant and well-controlled idiopathic generalized epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

The study aim was to compare interictal encephalographic (EEG) functional network topology between people with well-controlled idiopathic generalized epilepsy (WC-IGE) and drug-resistant IGE (DR-IGE).

METHODS

Nineteen participants with WC-IGE, 18 with DR-IGE, and 20 controls underwent a resting state, 64-channel EEG. An artifact-free epoch was bandpass filtered into the frequency range of high and low extended alpha. Weighted functional connectivity matrices were calculated. Mean degree, degree distribution variance, characteristic path length (L), clustering coefficient, small world index (SWI), and betweenness centrality were measured. A Kruskal-Wallis H-test assessed effects across groups. Where significant differences were found, Bonferroni-corrected Mann-Whitney pairwise comparisons were calculated.

RESULTS

In the low alpha band (6-9 Hz), there was a significant difference in L at the three-group level (p < .0001). This was lower in controls than both WC-IGE and DR-IGE (p < .0001 for both), with no difference in L between WC-IGE and DR-IGE. Mean degree (p = .031), degree distribution variance (p = .032), and SWI (p = .023) differed across the three groups in the high alpha band (10-12 Hz). Mean degree and degree distribution variance were lower in WC-IGE than controls (p = .029 for both), and SWI was higher in WC-IGE compared with controls (p = .038), with no differences in other pairwise comparisons.

SIGNIFICANCE

IGE network topology is more regular in the low alpha frequency band, potentially reflecting a more vulnerable structure. WC-IGE network topology is different from controls in the high alpha band. This may reflect drug-induced network changes that have stabilized the WC-IGE network by rendering it less likely to synchronize. These results are of potential importance in advancing the understanding of mechanisms of epilepsy drug resistance and as a possible basis for a biomarker of DR-IGE.

Cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar networks of structural covariance underlying different epilepsy syndromes associated with generalized tonic-clonic seizures

Generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GTCS) are the severest and most remarkable clinical expressions of human epilepsy. Cortical, subcortical, and cerebellar structures, organized with different network patterns, underlying the pathophysiological substrates of genetic associated epilepsy with GTCS (GE-GTCS) and focal epilepsy associated with focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizure (FE-FBTS). Structural covariance analysis can delineate the features of epilepsy network related with long-term effects from seizure. Morphometric MRI data of 111 patients with GE-GTCS, 111 patients with FE-FBTS and 111 healthy controls were studied. Cortico-striato-thalao-cerebellar networks of structural covariance within the gray matter were constructed using a Winner-take-all strategy with five cortical parcellations. Comparisons of structural covariance networks were conducted using permutation tests, and module effects of disease duration on networks were conducted using GLM model. Both patient groups showed increased connectivity of structural covariance relative to controls, mainly within the striatum and thalamus, and mostly correlated with the frontal, motor, and somatosensory cortices. Connectivity changes increased as a function of epilepsy durations. FE-FBTS showed more intensive and extensive gray matter changes with volumetric loss and connectivity increment than GE-GTCS. Our findings implicated cortico-striato-thalamo-cerebellar network changes at a large temporal scale in GTCS, with FE-FBTS showing more severe network disruption. The study contributed novel imaging evidence for understanding the different epilepsy syndromes associated with generalized seizures.

Temporal variability profiling of the default mode across epilepsy subtypes

OBJECTIVE

Epilepsies are a group of neurological disorders sharing certain core features, but also demonstrate remarkable pathogenic and symptomatic heterogeneities. Various subtypes of epilepsy have been identified with abnormal shift in the brain default mode network (DMN). This study aims to evaluate the fine details of shared and distinct alterations in the DMN among epileptic subtypes.

METHODS

We collected resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from a large epilepsy sample (n = 371) at a single center, including temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), and genetic generalized epilepsy with generalized tonic-clonic seizures (GGE-GTCS), as well as healthy controls (HC, n = 150). We analyzed temporal dynamics profiling of the DMN, including edge-wise and node-wise temporal variabilities, and recurrent dynamic states of functional connectivity, to identify abnormalities common to epilepsies as well as those specific to each subtype.

RESULTS

The analyses revealed that hypervariable edges within the specific DMN subsystem were shared by all subtypes (all P_NBS  < .005), and deficits in node-wise temporal variability were prominent in TLE (all t₍₂₄₃₎ ≤ 2.51, P_FDR  < .05) and FLE (all t₍₃₀₂₎ ≤ -2.65, P_FDR  < .05) but relatively weak in GGE-GTCS. Moreover, dynamic states were generally less stable in patients than controls (all P's < .001).

SIGNIFICANCE

Collectively, these findings demonstrated general DMN abnormalities common to different epilepsies as well as distinct dysfunctions to subtypes, and provided insights into understanding the relationship of pathophysiological mechanisms and brain connectivity.

Resting-state functional MRI of the default mode network in epilepsy

The default mode network (DMN) is a major neuronal network that deactivates during goal-directed tasks. Recent advances in neuroimaging have shed light on its structure and function. Alterations in the DMN are increasingly recognized in a range of neurological and psychiatric conditions including epilepsy. This review first describes the current understanding of the DMN in health, normal aging, and disease as it is acquired via resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), before focusing on how it is affected in various types of focal and generalized epilepsy. These findings support the potential use of DMN parameters as future biomarkers in epilepsy research, diagnosis, and management.

Abnormal directed connectivity of resting state networks in focal epilepsy

OBJECTIVE

Epilepsy diagnosis can be difficult in the absence of interictal epileptic discharges (IED) on scalp EEG. We used high-density EEG to measure connectivity in large-scale functional networks of patients with focal epilepsy (Temporal and Extratemporal Lobe Epilepsy, TLE and ETLE) and tested for network alterations during resting wakefulness without IEDs, compared to healthy controls. We measured global efficiency as a marker of integration within networks.

METHODS

We analysed 49 adult patients with focal epilepsy and 16 healthy subjects who underwent high-density-EEG and structural MRI. We estimated cortical activity using electric source analysis in 82 atlas-based cortical regions based on the individual MRI. We applied directed connectivity analysis (Partial Directed Coherence) on these sources and performed graph analysis: we computed the Global Efficiency on the whole brain and on each resting state network. We tested these features in different group of patients.

RESULTS

Compared to controls, efficiency was increased in both TLE and ETLE (p < 0.05). The somato-motor-network, the ventral-attention-network and the default-mode-network had a significantly increased efficiency (p < 0.05) in both TLE and ETLE as well as TLE with hippocampal sclerosis.

SIGNIFICANCE

During interictal scalp EEG epochs without IED, patients with focal epilepsy show brain functional connectivity alterations in the whole brain and in specific resting-state-networks. This higher integration reflects a chronic effect of pathological activity within these structures and complement previous work on altered information outflow. These findings could increase the diagnostic sensitivity of scalp EEG to identify epileptic activity in the absence of IED.

Frequency-specific changes in the default mode network in patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy

To identify abnormal functional connectivity of the default mode network in cingulate gyrus epilepsy, which may yield new information about the default mode network and suggest a new cingulate gyrus epilepsy biomarker. Fifteen patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy (mean age = 21 years) and 15 healthy controls (mean age = 24 years) were studied in the resting state using magnetoencephalography. Twelve brain areas of interest in the default mode network were extracted and investigated with multifrequency signals that included alpha (α, 8–13 Hz), beta (β, 14–30 Hz), and gamma (γ, 31–80 Hz) band oscillations. Patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy had significantly greater connectivity in all three frequency bands (α, β, γ). A frequency‐specific elevation of functional connectivity was found in patients compared to controls. The greater functional connectivity in the γ band was significantly more prominent than that of the α and β bands. Patients with cingulate gyrus epilepsy and controls differed significantly in functional connectivity between the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex in the α, β, and γ bands. The results of the node degree analysis were similar to those of the functional connectivity analysis. Our findings reveal for the first time that brain activity in the γ band may play a key role in the default mode network in cingulate gyrus epilepsy. Altered functional connectivity of the left angular gyrus and left posterior cingulate cortex may be a new biomarker for cingulate gyrus epilepsy.

Lesion Network Localization of Seizure Freedom following MR-guided Laser Interstitial Thermal Ablation

Treatment-resistant epilepsy is a common and debilitating neurological condition, for which neurosurgical cure is possible. Despite undergoing nearly identical ablation procedures however, individuals with treatment-resistant epilepsy frequently exhibit heterogeneous outcomes. We hypothesized that treatment response may be related to the brain regions to which MR-guided laser ablation volumes are functionally connected. To test this, we mapped the resting-state functional connectivity of surgical ablations that either resulted in seizure freedom (N = 11) or did not result in seizure freedom (N = 16) in over 1,000 normative connectomes. There was no difference seizure outcome with respect to the anatomical location of the ablations, and very little overlap between ablation areas was identified using the Dice Index. Ablations that did not result in seizure-freedom were preferentially connected to a number of cortical and subcortical regions, as well as multiple canonical resting-state networks. In contrast, ablations that led to seizure-freedom were more functionally connected to prefrontal cortices. Here, we demonstrate that underlying normative neural circuitry may in part explain heterogenous outcomes following ablation procedures in different brain regions. These findings may ultimately inform target selection for ablative epilepsy surgery based on normative intrinsic connectivity of the targeted volume.

Single-subject manual independent component analysis and resting state fMRI connectivity outcomes in patients with juvenile absence epilepsy

The quality of fMRI data impacts functional connectivity measures and consequently, the decisions that clinicians and researchers make regarding functional connectivity interpretation. The present study used resting state fMRI to investigate resting state network connectivity in a sample of patients with Juvenile Absence Epilepsy. Single-subject manual independent component analysis was used in two levels, whereby all noise components were removed, and cerebrospinal fluid pulsation components only were isolated and removed. Improved temporal signal to noise ratios and functional connectivity metrics were observed in each of the cleaning levels for both epilepsy and control cohorts. Results showed full, single-subject manual independent component analysis reduced the number of functional connectivity correlations and increased the strength of these correlations. Similar effects were also observed for the cerebrospinal fluid pulsation only cleaned data relative to the uncleaned, and fully cleaned data. Single-subject manual independent component analysis coupled with short TR multiband acquisition can significantly improve the validity of findings derived from fMRI data sets.

Levetiracetam in genetic generalized epilepsy: A prospective unblinded active-controlled trial

PURPOSE

To compare the efficacy and tolerability of levetiracetam (LEV) versus valproate (VPA) monotherapy in adults with genetic generalized tonic-clonic seizures alone (GTCS) and juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME).

METHODS

This study was an open-label, active-controlled trial with a two-parallel-group design. Outcome measures including withdrawal rate and seizure freedom rate at 26th weeks and time to withdrawal, and time to first seizure were compared between LEV and VPA groups. Furthermore, tolerability and development of adverse events (AEs) were investigated and analyzed.

RESULTS

One hundred and three patients enrolled the study. 71.1% of patients in LEV group and 29.3% in VPA group were female. By the end of 26^th week, seizure freedom rate and withdrawal rate were 88.9% and 8.9% in LEV group and 86.2% and 10.3% in VPA group with no significant difference. Time to first seizure was longer in VPA group (p = 0.32) and time to withdrawal favored LEV (p = 0.51). At least one AE was reported in 37.7% of patients in LEV group and 55.1% in VPA group. The most common AEs were psychiatric symptoms and dizziness in those on LEV and weight gain and dyspepsia in VPA group.

CONCLUSION

LEV has similar efficacy and acceptable safety in comparison to VPA in short-term treatment of patients with genetic GTCS and JME, and it could be considered as an alternative to VPA particularly in women of reproductive age.

Social cognition in idiopathic generalized epilepsies and potential neuroanatomical correlates

Social cognition allows us to elaborate mental representations of social relationships and use them appropriately in a social environment. One of its main attributes is the so-called Theory of Mind (ToM), which consists of the ability to attribute beliefs, intentions, emotions, and feelings to self and others. Investigating social cognition may help understand the poor social outcome often experienced by persons with Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsies (IGE), who otherwise present with normal intelligence. In recent years, several studies have addressed social cognition in subjects with focal epilepsies, while literature on social cognition in IGE is scarce, and findings are often conflicting. Some studies on samples of patients with mixed IGE showed difficulties in emotion attribution tasks, which were not replicated in a homogeneous population of patients with Juvenile Myoclonic Epilepsy alone. Impairment of higher order social skills, such as those assessed by Strange Stories Test and Faux Pas Tasks, were consistently found by different studies on mixed IGE, suggesting that this may be a more distinctive IGE-associated trait, irrespective of the specific syndrome subtype. Though an interplay between social cognition and executive functions (EF) was suggested by several authors, and their simultaneous impairment was shown in several epilepsy syndromes including IGE, no formal correlations among the two domains were identified in most studies. People with IGE exhibit subtle brain structural alterations in areas potentially involved in sociocognitive functional networks, including mesial prefrontal and temporoparietal cortices, which may relate to impairment in social cognition. Heterogeneity in patient samples, mostly consisting of groups with mixed IGE, and lack of analyses in specific IGE subsyndromes, represent evident limitations of the current literature. Larger studies, focusing on specific subsyndromes and implementing standardized test batteries, will improve our understanding of sociocognitive processing in IGE. Concomitant high-resolution structural and functional neuroimaging may aid the identification of its neural correlates. This article is part of the Special Issue "Epilepsy and social cognition across the lifespan".

Local thalamic atrophy associates with large-scale functional connectivity alterations of fronto-parietal cortices in genetic generalized epilepsies

Genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs) are a group of seizure syndromes that start in childhood and adolescence. Although generally viewed as benign, large-scale epidemiological studies suggest that a significant proportion of GGE patients suffer from drug-resistant seizures, cognitive impairment and social problems. This motivates further research into their pathophysiology, which is still incompletely understood. GGE is characterized clinically and on the encephalogram by seizures that seem to involve both hemispheres simultaneously – hence the idea of a ‘generalized’ process. However, findings from experimental animal studies suggest that seizures in GGE arise due to complex functional alterations within a network that involves fronto-parietal cortex and midline thalamus. In line with these results, neuroimaging studies have found metabolic changes in midline frontal and posterior parietal cortices during GGE seizures and atrophy of both frontal lobe structures and thalamus in GGE patients. Pathology of fronto-thalamic networks seems therefore to be a core feature of GGE. It is unknown how alterations of structure and function between different sites of the network influence each other. Given that the thalamus exerts widespread influence on cortical function, we hypothesized that thalamic atrophy in GGE patients would lead to functional impairment in cortical networks. To test this hypothesis, we performed a case–control study on patients with GGE and healthy controls (HCs), using computational neuroanatomical and functional connectivity techniques. Confirming our hypothesis, we found atrophy in midline thalamic regions preferentially connected to midline (pre-) frontal cortex, and correlated functional disconnection between midline frontal and posterior parietal cortex. Of note, we found increased functional connectivity between the left-sided thalamus and the left medial prefrontal cortex, and a decrease in interhemispheric functional connectivity between bilateral parietal cortex in patients compared to HCs. Taken together, our results suggest that even highly localized subcortical structural changes might lead to large-scale network effects in GGE.

Independent Components of Neural Activation Associated with 100 Days of Cognitive Training

Some cognitive training studies have reported working memory benefits that generalize beyond the trained tasks, whereas others have only found task-specific training effects. What brain networks are associated with general training effects, rather than task-specific effects? We investigated this question in the context of working memory training using the COGITO data set, a longitudinal project including behavioral assessments before and after 100 days of cognitive training in 101 younger (20-31 years) and 103 older (65-80 years) adults. Pre- and postassessments included verbal, numerical, and spatial measures of working memory. It was therefore possible to assess training effects on working memory at a general latent ability level. Previous analyses of these data found training-related improvements on this latent working memory factor in both young and old participants. fMRI data were collected from a subsample of participants (24 young and 15 old) during pre- and post-training sessions. We used independent component analysis to identify networks involved in a perceptual decision-making task performed in the scanner. We identified five task-positive components that were task-related: two frontal networks, a ventral visual network, a motor network, and a cerebellar network. Pre-training activity of the motor network predicted latent working memory performance before training. Additionally, activity in the motor network predicted training-related changes in working memory ability. These findings suggest activity in the motor network plays a role in task-independent working memory improvements and have implications for our understanding of working memory training and for the design and implementation of future training interventions.

Anxiety and depression symptoms disrupt resting state connectivity in patients with genetic generalized epilepsies

OBJECTIVE

To analyze the lifetime trajectories in genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs) and investigate the impact of symptoms of anxiety and depression on resting state functional connectivity (FC).

METHODS

Seventy-four GGE patients were classified according to the pharmacological response as seizure-free (12 patients), pharmacoresistant (PhR; 14 patients), and fluctuating (FL; 48 patients). Fifty-four subjects completed both the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI), and 38 also underwent 3-T resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging. These 38 patients were subdivided into a positive group (13 patients with concurrent symptoms of depression and anxiety) and a negative group (21 asymptomatic patients and four with mild anxiety or depression symptoms). For FC analysis of resting state networks, we matched 38 healthy asymptomatic volunteers and used the UF2C toolbox running on MATLAB2017/SPM12.

RESULTS

The PhR group presented shorter duration of epilepsy (P = 0.016) and follow-up (P < 0.001) compared to the FL group. The PhR group showed higher levels (median = 20) on the BAI and BDI. Myoclonic seizures were the most difficult to control, as 50% of subjects persisted with them at last appointment, compared to generalized tonic-clonic seizures and absence seizures (<40%). Patients with concurrent anxiety and depression symptoms were 7.7 times more likely to exhibit pharmacoresistant seizures, although an increase of 1 year of epilepsy duration was associated with a decrease in the odds of presenting pharmacoresistance by a factor of 0.9. Overall, FC was altered between default mode network (DMN) and visuospatial/dorsal attention. However, only the positive group displayed abnormal FC between DMN and left executive control network, and between salience and visuospatial/dorsal attention.

SIGNIFICANCE

Our findings may help clinicians to have a better understanding of GGE clinical course and increase attention to the potential relationship of psychopathologies and brain connectivity.

Resting-state functional brain networks in adults with a new diagnosis of focal epilepsy

OBJECTIVES

Newly diagnosed focal epilepsy (NDfE) is rarely studied, particularly using advanced neuroimaging techniques. Many patients with NDfE experience cognitive impairments, particularly with respect to memory, sustained attention, mental flexibility, and executive functioning. Cognitive impairments have been related to alterations in resting-state functional brain networks in patients with neurological disorders. In the present study, we investigated whether patients with NDfE had altered connectivity in large-scale functional networks using resting-state functional MRI.

METHODS

We recruited 27 adults with NDfE and 36 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. Resting-state functional MRI was analyzed using the Functional Connectivity Toolbox (CONN). We investigate reproducibly determined large-scale functional networks, including the default mode, salience, fronto-parietal attention, sensorimotor, and language networks using a seed-based approach. Network comparisons between patients and controls were thresholded using a FDR cluster-level correction approach.

RESULTS

We found no significant differences in functional connectivity between seeds within the default mode, salience, sensorimotor, and language networks and other regions of the brain between patients and controls. However, patients with NDfE had significantly reduced connectivity between intraparietal seeds within the fronto-parietal attention network and predominantly frontal and temporal cortical regions relative to controls; this finding was demonstrated including and excluding the patients with brain lesions. No common alteration in brain structure was observed in patients using voxel-based morphometry. Findings were not influenced by treatment outcome at 1 year.

CONCLUSIONS

Patients with focal epilepsy have brain functional connectivity alterations at diagnosis. Functional brain abnormalities are not necessarily a consequence of the chronicity of epilepsy and are present when seizures first emerge.

Relationship Between Alpha Rhythm and the Default Mode Network: An EEG-fMRI Study

PURPOSE

Reports of the relationship between the default mode network (DMN) and alpha power are conflicting. Our goal was to assess this relationship by analyzing concurrently obtained EEG/functional MRI data using hypothesis-independent methods.

METHODS

We collected functional MRI and EEG data during eyes-closed rest in 20 participants aged 19 to 37 (10 females) and performed independent component analysis on the functional MRI data and a Hamming-windowed fast Fourier transform on the EEG data. We correlated functional MRI fluctuations in the DMN with alpha power.

RESULTS

Of the six independent components found to have significant relationships with alpha, four contained DMN-associated regions: One independent component was positively correlated with alpha power, whereas all others were negatively correlated. Furthermore, two independent components with opposite relationships with alpha had overlapping voxels in the medial prefrontal cortex and posterior cingulate cortex, suggesting that subpopulations of neurons within these classic nodes within the DMN may have different relationships to alpha power.

CONCLUSIONS

Different parts of the DMN exhibit divergent relationships to alpha power. Our results highlight the relationship between DMN activity and alpha power, indicating that networks, such as the DMN, may have subcomponents that exhibit different behaviors.

Brain Functional Connectivity Changes After Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Epileptic Patients

Focal epilepsy is a network pathology, where the brain connectivity of the epileptic focus (EF) influences seizure frequency and cortical dysfunction. Growing evidence supports a clinical efficacy of cathodal transcranial direct current stimulation (ctDCS) in drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE). ctDCS effects can be merely attributed to the inhibition of cortical excitability, which is abnormally increased in epilepsy, but its effect on brain network of DRE patients has never been reported. We aimed at exploring the hypothesis that functional connectivity (FC) changes may explain part of ctDCS clinical effects in DRE patients. We assessed the ctDCS-induced changes of electroencephalography-derived brain FC of a group of six temporal lobe DRE patients receiving a seizure reduction after ctDCS. By a single-subject eLORETA analysis, we compared the FC among the EF region and other nine bilateral macro-regions, before and after Real and Sham ctDCS in a double-blind Sham-controlled crossover design. FC changed after Real ctDCS in all patients despite no appreciable changes occurred after Sham. Most of FC changes (73%) involved the EF region. The epileptic seizure reduction correlated with the increase of the EF FC, in the whole frequency band and in the theta band. This small-sample analysis clearly revealed that ctDCS induced FC changes in the brain network of temporal lobe DRE patients. Our data support the hypothesis that FC changes may contribute to explain the effects of ctDCS in epilepsy, offering a new scenario in the personalization of neuromodulation interventions in epileptic people.

Epileptic Seizures are Reduced by Autonomic Biofeedback Therapy Through Enhancement of Fronto-limbic Connectivity: A Controlled Trial and Neuroimaging Study

BACKGROUND

Thirty-percent of patients with epilepsy are drug-resistant, and might benefit from effective noninvasive therapeutic interventions. Evidence is accumulating on the efficacy of autonomic biofeedback therapy using galvanic skin response (GSR; an index of sympathetic arousal) in treating epileptic seizures. This study aimed to extend previous controlled clinical trials of autonomic biofeedback therapy with a larger homogeneous sample of patients with temporal lobe epilepsy. In addition, we used neuroimaging to characterize neural mechanisms of change in seizure frequency following the therapy.

METHODS

Forty patients with drug-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) (age: 18 to 70years old), on stable doses of anti-epileptic medication, were recruited into a controlled and parallel-group trial from three screening centers in the UK. Patients were allocated to either an active intervention group, who received therapy with GSR biofeedback, or a control group, who received treatment as usual. Allocation to the group was informed, in part, by whether patients could travel to attend repeated therapy sessions (non-randomized). Measurement of outcomes was undertaken by an assessor blinded to the patients' group membership. Resting-state functional and structural MRI data were acquired before and after one month of therapy in the therapy group, and before and after a one-month interval in the control group. The percentage change of seizure frequency was the primary outcome measure. The analysis employed an intention-to-treat principle. The secondary outcome was the change in default mode network (DMN) and limbic network functional connectivity tested for effects of therapy. The trial was registered with the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) portfolio (ID 15967).

FINDINGS

Data were acquired between May 2014 and October 2016. Twenty participants were assigned to each group. Two patients in the control group dropped out before the second scan, leaving 18 control participants. There was a significant difference in reduction of seizure frequency between the therapy and control groups (p<0.001: Mann Whitney U Test). The seizure frequency in the therapy group was significantly reduced (p<0.001: Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test) following GSR biofeedback, with a mean seizure reduction of 43% (SD=± 32.12, median=-37.26, 95% CI -58.02% to -27.96%). No significant seizure reduction was observed in the control group, with a mean increase in seizure frequency of 31% (SD=±88.27, median=0, 95% CI -12.83% to 74.96%). The effect size of group comparison was 1.14 (95% CI 0.44 to 1.82). 45% of patients in the therapy group showed a seizure reduction of >50%. Neuroimaging analysis revealed that post-therapy seizure reduction was linearly correlated with enhanced functional connectivity between right amygdala and both the orbitofrontal cortex (OFC) and frontal pole (FP).

INTERPRETATION

Our clinical study provides evidence for autonomic biofeedback therapy as an effective and potent behavioral intervention for patients with drug-resistant epilepsy. This approach is non-pharmacological, non-invasive and seemingly side-effect free.

Neuroimaging in Epilepsy

In recent years, the field of neuroimaging has undergone dramatic development. Specifically, of importance for clinicians and researchers managing patients with epilepsies, new methods of brain imaging in search of the seizure-producing abnormalities have been implemented, and older methods have undergone additional refinement. Methodology to predict seizure freedom and cognitive outcome has also rapidly progressed. In general, the image data processing methods are very different and more complicated than even a decade ago. In this review, we identify the recent developments in neuroimaging that are aimed at improved management of epilepsy patients. Advances in structural imaging, diffusion imaging, fMRI, structural and functional connectivity, hybrid imaging methods, quantitative neuroimaging, and machine-learning are discussed. We also briefly summarize the potential new developments that may shape the field of neuroimaging in the near future and may advance not only our understanding of epileptic networks as the source of treatment-resistant seizures but also better define the areas that need to be treated in order to provide the patients with better long-term outcomes.

Resting-state functional connectivity changes due to acute and short-term valproic acid administration in the baboon model of GGE

Resting-state functional connectivity (FC) is altered in baboons with genetic generalized epilepsy (GGE) compared to healthy controls (CTL). We compared FC changes between GGE and CTL groups after intravenous injection of valproic acid (VPA) and following one-week of orally administered VPA. Seven epileptic (2 females) and six CTL (3 females) baboons underwent resting-state fMRI (rs-fMRI) at 1) baseline, 2) after intravenous acute VPA administration (20 mg/kg), and 3) following seven-day oral, subacute VPA therapy (20–80 mg/kg/day). FC was evaluated using a data-driven approach, while regressing out the group-wise effects of age, gender and VPA levels. Sixteen networks were identified by independent component analysis (ICA). Each network mask was thresholded (z > 4.00; p < 0.001), and used to compare group-wise FC differences between baseline, intravenous and oral VPA treatment states between GGE and CTL groups. At baseline, FC was increased in most cortical networks of the GGE group but decreased in the thalamic network. After intravenous acute VPA, FC increased in the basal ganglia network and decreased in the parietal network of epileptic baboons to presumed nodes associated with the epileptic network. After oral VPA therapy, FC was decreased in GGE baboons only the orbitofrontal networks connections to the primary somatosensory cortices, reflecting a reversal from baseline comparisons. VPA therapy affects FC in the baboon model of GGE after a single intravenous dose—possibly by facilitating subcortical modulation of the epileptic network and suppressing seizure generation—and after short-term oral VPA treatment, reversing the abnormal baseline increases in FC in the orbitofrontal network. While there is a need to correlate these FC changes with simultaneous EEG recording and seizure outcomes, this study demonstrates the feasibility of evaluating rs-fMRI effects of antiepileptic medications even after short-term exposure.

•

This resting-state fMRI study evaluates treatment-related functional connectivity (FC) changes in the baboon model of GGE.

•

Pre-treatment FC is mostly increased in cortical networks, but decreased for the thalamic network in epileptic baboons.

•

Treatment-related FC changes were noted both after single intravenous dose of VPA and short-term oral VPA treatment.

•

FC studies may provide a novel approach to evaluate antiepileptic medication effects.

Altered Default Mode Network on Resting-State fMRI in Children with Infantile Spasms

Infantile spasms (IS) syndrome is an age-dependent epileptic encephalopathy, which occurs in children characterized by spasms, impaired consciousness, and hypsarrhythmia. Abnormalities in default mode network (DMN) might contribute to the loss of consciousness during seizures and cognitive deficits in children with IS. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the changes in DMN with functional connectivity (FC) and amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation (ALFF), the two methods to discover the potential neuronal underpinnings of IS. The consistency of the two calculate methods of DMN abnormalities in IS patients was also our main focus. To avoid the disturbance of interictal epileptic discharge, our testing was performed within the interictal durations without epileptic discharges. Resting-state fMRI data were collected from 13 patients with IS and 35 sex- and age-matched healthy controls. FC analysis with seed in posterior cingulate cortex (PCC) was used to compare the differences between two groups. We chose PCC as the seed region because PCC is the only node in the DMN that directly interacts with virtually all other nodes according to previous studies. Furthermore, the ALFF values within the DMN were also calculated and compared between the two groups. The FC results showed that IS patients exhibited markedly reduced connectivity between posterior seed region and other areas within DMN. In addition, part of the brain areas within the DMN showing significant difference of FC had significantly lower ALFF signal in the patient group than that in the healthy controls. The observed disruption in DMN through the two methods showed that the coherence of brain signal fluctuation in DMN during rest was broken in IS children. Neuronal functional impairment or altered integration in DMN would be one neuroimaging characteristic, which might help us to understand the underlying neural mechanism of IS. Further studies are needed to determine whether the disturbed FC and ALFF observed in the DMN are related to cognitive performance in IS patients.

Photosensitivity in generalized epilepsies

Photosensitivity, which is the hallmark of photosensitive epilepsy (PSE), is described as an abnormal EEG response to visual stimuli known as a photoparoxysmal response (PPR). The PPR is a well-recognized phenomenon, occurring in 2-14% of patients with epilepsy but its pathophysiology is not clearly understood. PPR is electrographically described as 2-5Hz spike, spike-wave, or slow wave complexes with frontal and paracentral prevalence. Diagnosis of PPR is confirmed using intermittent photic stimulation (IPS) as well as video monitoring. The PPR can be elicited by certain types of visual stimuli including flicker, high contrast gratings, moving patterns, and rapidly modulating luminance patterns which may be encountered during e.g., watching television, playing video games, or attending discotheques. Photosensitivity may present in different idiopathic (genetic) epilepsy syndromes e.g. juvenile myoclonic epilepsy (JME) as well as non-IGE syndromes e.g. severe myoclonic epilepsy of infancy. Consequently, PPR is present in patients with diverse seizure types including absence, myoclonic, and generalized tonic-clonic (GTC) seizures. Across syndromes, abnormalities in structural connectivity, functional connectivity, cortical excitability, cortical morphology, and behavioral and neuropsychological function have been reported. Treatment of photosensitivity includes antiepileptic drug administration, and the use of non-pharmacological agents, e.g. tinted or polarizing glasses, as well as occupational measures, e.g. avoidance of certain stimuli.

White Matter Abnormalities in Patients with Treatment-Resistant Genetic Generalized Epilepsies

Background

Genetic generalized epilepsies (GGEs) are associated with microstructural brain abnormalities that can be evaluated with diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Available studies on GGEs have conflicting results. Our primary goal was to compare the white matter structure in a cohort of patients with video/EEG-confirmed GGEs to healthy controls (HCs). Our secondary goal was to assess the potential effect of age at GGE onset on the white matter structure.

Material/Methods

A convenience sample of 23 patients with well-characterized treatment-resistant GGEs (13 female) was compared to 23 HCs. All participants received MRI at 3T. DTI indices, including fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD), were compared between groups using Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS).

Results

After controlling for differences between groups, abnormalities in DTI parameters were observed in patients with GGEs, including decreases in functional anisotropy (FA) in the hemispheric (left>right) and brain stem white matter. The examination of the effect of age at GGE onset on the white matter integrity revealed a significant negative correlation in the left parietal white matter region FA (R=−0.504; p=0.017); similar trends were observed in the white matter underlying left motor cortex (R=−0.357; p=0.103) and left posterior limb of the internal capsule (R=−0.319; p=0.148).

Conclusions

Our study confirms the presence of widespread white matter abnormalities in patients with GGEs and provides evidence that the age at GGE onset may have an important effect on white matter integrity.

Modeling the effective connectivity of the visual network in healthy and photosensitive, epileptic baboons

The baboon provides a model of photosensitive, generalized epilepsy. This study compares cerebral blood flow responses during intermittent light stimulation (ILS) between photosensitive (PS) and healthy control (CTL) baboons using H 2 (15) O-PET. We examined effective connectivity associated with visual stimulation in both groups using structural equation modeling (SEM). Eight PS and six CTL baboons, matched for age, gender and weight, were classified on the basis of scalp EEG findings performed during the neuroimaging studies. Five H 2 (15) O-PET studies were acquired alternating between resting and activation (ILS at 25 Hz) scans. PET images were acquired in 3D mode and co-registered with MRI. SEM demonstrated differences in neural connectivity between PS and CTL groups during ILS that were not previously identified using traditional activation analyses. First-level pathways consisted of similar posterior-to-anterior projections in both groups. While second-level pathways were mainly lateralized to the left hemisphere in the CTL group, they consisted of bilateral anterior-to-posterior projections in the PS baboons. Third- and fourth-level pathways were only evident in PS baboons. This is the first functional neuroimaging study used to model the photoparoxysmal response (PPR) using a primate model of photosensitive, generalized epilepsy. Evidence of increased interhemispheric connectivity and bidirectional feedback loops in the PS baboons represents electrophysiological synchronization associated with the generation of epileptic discharges. PS baboons demonstrated decreased model stability compared to controls, which may be attributed to greater variability in the driving response or PPRs, or to the influence of regions not included in the model.

Default mode network connectivity in patients with idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus

OBJECT

Idiopathic normal pressure hydrocephalus (iNPH) is a neurological disorder characterized by gait disturbance, cognitive impairment, and incontinence. It is unclear whether the pathophysiology of iNPH is associated with alterations in the default mode network (DMN). The authors investigated alterations in the DMN of patients with iNPH and sought to determine whether a relationship exists between the resting-state functional connectivity of the DMN and a patient’s clinical symptoms.

METHODS

Resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) was performed in 16 preoperative patients with iNPH and 15 neurologically healthy control subjects of a similar age. Independent component and dual-regression analyses were used to quantify DMN connectivity. The patients’ clinical symptoms were rated according to the iNPH grading scale (iNPHGS). Each of their specific clinical symptoms were rated according to the cognitive, gait, and urinary continence domains of iNPHGS, and neurocognitive status was assessed using the Mini-Mental State Examination, Frontal Assessment Battery (FAB), and Trail Making Test Part A. The strength of DMN connectivity was compared between patients and controls, and the correlation between DMN connectivity and iNPHGS was examined using both region of interest (ROI)-based analysis and voxel-based analysis. The correlation between DMN connectivity and each of the specific clinical symptoms, as well as neurocognitive status, was examined using voxel-based analysis.

RESULTS

Both ROI-based and voxel-based analyses revealed reduced DMN connectivity in patients with iNPH. ROI-based analysis showed increased DMN connectivity with worsening clinical symptoms of iNPH. Consistently, voxel-based analyses revealed that DMN connectivity correlated positively with the iNPHGS score, as well as the cognitive and urinary continence domain scores, and negatively with the FAB score. The significant peak in correlation in each case was localized to the precuneus.

CONCLUSIONS

This is the first study to establish alterations in the DMN of patients with iNPH. DMN connectivity may be a useful indicator of the severity of clinical symptoms in patients with iNPH.