Altered thalamocortical functional connectivity in idiopathic generalized epilepsy

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Epilepsy Research
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) is hypothesized to involve aberrant thalamocortical network function.
• Understanding these network alterations is key to elucidating IGE pathogenesis.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate thalamocortical functional connectivity (FC) alterations in IGE patients.
• To examine the relationship between these FC changes, frontal cognitive functions, and clinical characteristics.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) was used for FC analysis in 49 IGE patients and 42 controls.
• Voxel-based morphometry (VBM) identified gray matter reduction in the thalamus.
• Thalamic seed-based FC was correlated with cognitive and clinical data.

Main Results:

• IGE patients exhibited poorer frontal cognitive function compared to controls.
• VBM revealed reduced gray matter in the anteromedial thalamus of IGE patients.
• Reduced thalamocortical FC was observed between the anteromedial thalamus and the medial prefrontal cortex/precuneus in IGE patients.

Conclusions:

• IGE is associated with decreased thalamocortical FC, specifically involving the anteromedial thalamus, medial prefrontal cortex, and precuneus.
• The observed reduction in medial prefrontal FC, correlating with disease duration, suggests thalamoprefrontal network abnormalities may be a long-term consequence of IGE.