Functional MRI of facial emotion processing in left temporal lobe epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Epileptology
• Cognitive Psychology

Background:

• Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) can affect cognitive functions, including emotional processing.
• Facial emotion recognition is crucial for social interaction and may be impaired in TLE.
• Understanding the neural basis of emotion processing in TLE is essential for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate the cortical correlates of facial emotion processing in patients with left TLE (LTLE).
• To examine how seizure control status influences emotion processing in LTLE.
• To correlate functional MRI findings with mood assessments.

Main Methods:

• Functional MRI (fMRI) was used to assess brain activity during an event-related facial emotion recognition task.
• Participants included 34 patients with LTLE (17 seizure-controlled, 17 active seizures) and 30 healthy controls.
• Mood was evaluated using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) and Profile of Mood States (POMS).

Main Results:

• Patients with LTLE showed altered BOLD signals in the hippocampus/parahippocampus and cerebellum for happy faces, and in occipital regions for fearful faces.
• Patients with active seizures (LTLE+sz) exhibited worse mood scores (BDI, POMS) than those with controlled seizures (LTLE-sz).
• LTLE+sz patients displayed increased BOLD signals in the precuneus and parahippocampus for fearful faces and in the periarcheocortex for neutral faces compared to LTLE-sz patients.

Conclusions:

• Left TLE has a limited direct impact on the cortical networks for facial emotion processing.
• Seizure activity status in LTLE significantly affects emotion processing and associated neural activity.
• Maintaining seizure control in LTLE is critical for preserving emotional processing capabilities and overall mood.