Functional network connectivity imprint in febrile seizures.

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Complex febrile seizures (CFS) are a subset of pediatric febrile seizures (FS) with potential long-term implications.
• Previous research has explored the prognosis, epileptogenic potential, and neurocognitive outcomes of CFS.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of CFS is crucial for early diagnosis and intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate functional connectivity (FC) differences between children with recent-onset CFS and simple febrile seizures (SFS).
• To correlate these FC differences with clinical characteristics such as seizure recurrence and duration.
• To assess the impact of CFS on brain network topology.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) was used to analyze brain activity in 24 children with recent-onset FS (11 SFS, 13 CFS).
• Functional connectivity was calculated using time series correlation, and network topology was assessed with graph theory.
• Statistical analysis, including FDR correction, was applied to identify significant regional connectivity differences and their correlation with clinical data.

Main Results:

• Children with CFS exhibited increased functional connectivity in the bilateral middle temporal pole (MTP) and bilateral thalami compared to SFS patients.
• Network analysis revealed an inefficient and unbalanced topology in CFS patients, characterized by an increased clustering coefficient and decreased participation coefficient in the basal ganglia and thalamus.
• Seizure recurrence negatively correlated with left thalamus integration and MTP connectivity. Longer seizure duration positively correlated with MTP and left thalamus connectivity to various brain regions.

Conclusions:

• Children with CFS demonstrate distinct alterations in brain functional connectivity and network topology compared to those with SFS.
• These connectivity changes are associated with key clinical variables of febrile seizures, namely recurrence and duration.
• The findings highlight the significant impact of CFS on the developing brain's neural networks, irrespective of the underlying causality.