Abnormal dynamic connectivity patterns in self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Pediatric Neurology
• Medical Imaging

Background:

• Self-limited epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (SeLECTS) is a common childhood epilepsy syndrome.
• Understanding the neural underpinnings of SeLECTS is crucial for developing targeted interventions.
• Dynamic functional network connectivity (dFNC) offers a novel approach to investigate brain function in epilepsy.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize dFNC patterns in children with SeLECTS.
• To identify abnormalities in neural regulation and functional impairments associated with SeLECTS.
• To explore the relationship between dFNC alterations and cognitive function.

Main Methods:

• Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) data from 61 children with SeLECTS and 69 healthy controls (HCs).
• Analysis using Independent Component Analysis (ICA), sliding window approach, and Hidden Markov Modeling (HMM) to assess dFNC.
• Comparison of dFNC properties between the SeLECTS and HC groups.

Main Results:

• Four distinct dFNC states were identified, with significant differences in connectivity patterns between SeLECTS and HCs.
• Children with SeLECTS showed reduced connectivity within the dorsal attention network (DAN) across states.
• Temporal variability of functional connectivity between DAN and visual network (VIS) was reduced in SeLECTS and correlated with intelligence.

Conclusions:

• Abnormal dynamic brain network connectivity patterns were observed in children with SeLECTS.
• These abnormalities may indicate an underlying excitation-inhibition imbalance in neural networks.
• The findings provide insights into brain functional reorganization and neurobiological mechanisms in SeLECTS.