A resting-state fMRI study of temporal lobe epilepsy using multivariate pattern analysis and Granger causality...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) pathogenesis requires deeper understanding for improved diagnosis and treatment.
• Identifying specific brain region abnormalities is crucial for TLE management.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore regional homogeneity (ReHo) and effective connectivity (EC) alterations in TLE patients.
• To identify brain regions with potential abnormalities contributing to TLE.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state fMRI data from 23 TLE patients and 32 healthy controls were analyzed.
• Multivariate pattern analysis (MVPA) using ReHo features was employed for TLE identification.
• Granger causality analysis was used to assess EC between selected brain regions.

Main Results:

• MVPA achieved 87.27% classification accuracy between TLE and control groups.
• Significant contributions to classification were observed in the right posterior cerebellum, right lingual gyrus (LING_R), right cuneus (CUN_R), and left superior temporal gyrus (STG_L).
• Altered EC was found from STG_L to right fusiform gyrus (FFG_R) and LING_R, and from CUN_R to the right occipital superior gyrus (SOG_R) and right occipital middle gyrus (MOG_R).

Conclusions:

• ReHo abnormalities in specific brain regions are significant indicators for TLE identification.
• Enhanced EC from STG_L to FFG_R and LING_R suggests a right-hemisphere language processing shift.
• Weakened EC from SOG_R and MOG_R to CUN_R may indicate an underlying TLE mechanism.