Resting-state functional MRI in pediatric epilepsy: a narrative review

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Medical Imaging
• Pediatric Neurology

Background:

• Brain connectivity is crucial for human brain function and development.
• Translating connectivity findings to clinical practice, especially for epilepsy, is an ongoing challenge.
• Pediatric epilepsy presents unique difficulties in assessing brain connectivity.

Purpose of the Study:

• To review the recent advancements and applications of resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) in pediatric epilepsy.
• To discuss the current state of rs-fMRI in diagnosing and managing pediatric epilepsy syndromes.
• To explore rs-fMRI's insights into postoperative connectivity changes and suggest future research directions.

Main Methods:

• Overview of rs-fMRI practical aspects and analysis techniques.
• Review of existing literature on rs-fMRI findings in pediatric epilepsy.
• Discussion of rs-fMRI's utility in pediatric populations, including its non-invasive nature and applicability under sedation.

Main Results:

• rs-fMRI has emerged as a powerful, non-invasive method for assessing functional connectivity in pediatric epilepsy.
• The technique requires minimal patient cooperation and can be performed under sedation, making it suitable for children.
• Significant progress has been made in understanding connectivity patterns in various pediatric epilepsy syndromes using rs-fMRI.

Conclusions:

• rs-fMRI is a valuable tool for the diagnosis and management of pediatric epilepsy.
• Further research is needed to fully elucidate rs-fMRI's potential in understanding and treating pediatric epilepsy.
• Future studies should focus on refining rs-fMRI analysis and exploring its impact on postoperative connectivity.