Localized cortical morphometric and structural covariance differences in adolescents with functional/dissociative...

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Developmental Neuroscience
• Clinical Neurology

Background:

• Functional/dissociative seizures (FDS) are common in adolescents.
• Understanding the neurobiological underpinnings of FDS is crucial for targeted interventions.

Purpose of the Study:

• To investigate cross-sectional differences in brain cortical morphometry and structural covariance in adolescents with FDS compared to healthy controls.
• To identify specific brain regions and network alterations associated with adolescent FDS.

Main Methods:

• High-resolution MRI data from 150 adolescents (75 FDS, 75 controls) were analyzed.
• Surface-based morphometry assessed cortical thickness, fractal dimension, gyrification, and sulcal depth.
• Structural covariance networks were constructed and analyzed for cortical thickness and fractal dimension.

Main Results:

• Adolescents with FDS exhibited widespread cortical morphometric differences in frontal, insular, cingulate, temporal, parietal, and posterior associative cortices.
• Significant findings included increased left pars opercularis thickness, reduced left precentral sulcal depth, and reduced right insula gyrification.
• Fractal dimension covariance showed greater divergence than cortical thickness covariance, with specific regional differences noted after education adjustment.

Conclusions:

• Adolescent FDS are associated with distinct regional cortical morphometric alterations.
• Modality-specific differences in structural covariance networks were observed, but global network topology did not differ robustly.
• These findings highlight regional brain structural changes in adolescent FDS.