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How brain functions in the distorted ischemic state before and after reperfusion is unclear. It is also uncertain whether there are any indicators within ischemic brain that could predict surgical outcomes. To alleviate these issues, we applied individual brain connectome in chronic steno-occlusive vasculopathy (CSOV) to map both ischemic symptoms and their postbypass changes. A total of 499 bypasses in 455 CSOV patients were collected and followed up for 47.8 ± 20.5 months. Using multimodal parcellation with connectivity-based and pathological distortion-independent approach, areal MR features of brain connectome were generated with three measurements of functional connectivity (FC), structural connectivity, and PageRank centrality at the single-subject level. Thirty-three machine-learning models were then trained with clinical and areal MR features to obtain acceptable classifiers for both ischemic symptoms and their postbypass changes, among which, 11 were deemed acceptable (AUC > 0.7). Notably, the FC feature-based model for long-term neurological outcomes performed very well (AUC > 0.8). Finally, a Shapley additive explanations plot was adopted to extract important individual features in acceptable models to generate "fingerprints" of brain connectome. This study not only establishes brain connectomic fingerprint databases for brain ischemia with distortion, but also provides informative insights for how brain functions before and after reperfusion.
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BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Hemispatial neglect is characterized by a reduced awareness to stimuli on the contralateral side. Current literature suggesting that damage to the right parietal lobe and attention networks may cause hemispatial neglect is conflicting and can be improved by investigating a connectomic model of the "neglect system" and the anatomical specificity of regions involved in it. METHODS: A meta-analysis of voxel-based morphometry magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies of hemispatial neglect was used to identify regions associated with neglect. We applied parcellation schemes to these regions and performed diffusion spectrum imaging (DSI) tractography to determine their connectivity. By overlaying neglect areas and maps of the attention networks, we studied the relationship between them. RESULTS: The meta-analysis generated a list of 13 right hemisphere parcellations. These 13 neglect-related parcellations were predominantly linked by the superior longitudinal fasciculus (SLF) throughout a fronto-parietal-temporal network. We found that the dorsal and ventral attention networks showed partial overlap with the neglect system and included various other higher-order networks. CONCLUSIONS: We provide an anatomically specific connectomic model of the neurobehavioral substrates underlying hemispatial neglect. Our model suggests a fronto-parietal-temporal network linked via the SLF supports the functions impaired in neglect and implicates various higher-order networks which are not limited to the attention networks.
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Conectoma , Transtornos da Percepção , Humanos , Transtornos da Percepção/diagnóstico por imagem , Transtornos da Percepção/complicações , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/efeitos adversos , Imagem de Difusão por Ressonância Magnética , Lobo Parietal/diagnóstico por imagem , Lobo Parietal/patologia , Lateralidade FuncionalRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Migraine is a complex disorder characterized by debilitating headaches. Despite its prevalence, its pathophysiology remains unknown, with subsequent gaps in diagnosis and treatment. We combined machine learning with connectivity analysis and applied a whole-brain network approach to identify potential targets for migraine diagnosis and treatment. METHODS: Baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI(rfMRI), and diffusion weighted scans were obtained from 31 patients with migraine, and 17 controls. A recently developed machine learning technique, Hollow Tree Super (HoTS) was used to classify subjects into diagnostic groups based on functional connectivity (FC) and derive networks and parcels contributing to the model. PageRank centrality analysis was also performed on the structural connectome to identify changes in hubness. RESULTS: Our model attained an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.68, which rose to 0.86 following hyperparameter tuning. FC of the language network was most predictive of the model's classification, though patients with migraine also demonstrated differences in the accessory language, visual and medial temporal regions. Several analogous regions in the right hemisphere demonstrated changes in PageRank centrality, suggesting possible compensation. CONCLUSIONS: Although our small sample size demands caution, our preliminary findings demonstrate the utility of our method in providing a network-based perspective to diagnosis and treatment of migraine.
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Conectoma , Transtornos de Enxaqueca , Humanos , Transtornos de Enxaqueca/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Conectoma/métodos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , IdiomaRESUMO
Objective: Stroke remains the number one cause of morbidity in many developing countries, and while effective neurorehabilitation strategies exist, it remains difficult to predict the individual trajectories of patients in the acute period, making personalized therapies difficult. Sophisticated and data-driven methods are necessary to identify markers of functional outcomes. Methods: Baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), and diffusion weighted scans were obtained from 79 patients following stroke. Sixteen models were constructed to predict performance across six tests of motor impairment, spasticity, and activities of daily living, using either whole-brain structural or functional connectivity. Feature importance analysis was also performed to identify brain regions and networks associated with performance in each test. Results: The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve ranged from 0.650 to 0.868. Models utilizing functional connectivity tended to have better performance than those utilizing structural connectivity. The Dorsal and Ventral Attention Networks were among the top three features in several structural and functional models, while the Language and Accessory Language Networks were most commonly implicated in structural models. Conclusions: Our study highlights the potential of machine learning methods combined with connectivity analysis in predicting outcomes in neurorehabilitation and disentangling the neural correlates of functional impairments, though further longitudinal studies are necessary.
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OBJECTIVE: This paper aims to model the anatomical circuits underlying schizophrenia symptoms, and to explore patterns of abnormal connectivity among brain networks affected by psychopathology. METHODS: T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), diffusion weighted imaging (DWI), and resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI) were obtained from a total of 126 patients with schizophrenia who were recruited for the study. The images were processed using the Omniscient software (https://www.o8t. com). We further apply the use of the Hollow-tree Super (HoTS) method to gain insights into what brain regions had abnormal connectivity that might be linked to the symptoms of schizophrenia. RESULTS: The Positive and Negative Symptom Scale is characterised into 6 factors. Each symptom is mapped with specific anatomical abnormalities and circuits. Comparison between factors reveals co-occurrence in parcels in Factor 1 and Factor 2. Multiple large-scale networks are involved in SCZ symptomatology, with functional connectivity within Default Mode Network (DMN) and Central Executive Network (CEN) regions most frequently associated with measures of psychopathology. CONCLUSION: We present a summary of the relevant anatomy for regions of the cortical areas as part of a larger effort to understand its contribution in schizophrenia. This unique machine learning-type approach maps symptoms to specific brain regions and circuits by bridging the diagnostic subtypes and analysing the features of the connectome.
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Conectoma , Esquizofrenia , Humanos , Esquizofrenia/diagnóstico por imagem , Conectoma/métodos , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Psicopatologia , Rede Nervosa/diagnóstico por imagemRESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Data-driven approaches to transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) might yield more consistent and symptom-specific results based on individualized functional connectivity analyses compared to previous traditional approaches due to more precise targeting. We provide a proof of concept for an agile target selection paradigm based on using connectomic methods that can be used to detect patient-specific abnormal functional connectivity, guide treatment aimed at the most abnormal regions, and optimize the rapid development of new hypotheses for future study. METHODS: We used the resting-state functional MRI data of 28 patients with medically refractory generalized anxiety disorder to perform agile target selection based on abnormal functional connectivity patterns between the Default Mode Network (DMN) and Central Executive Network (CEN). The most abnormal areas of connectivity within these regions were selected for subsequent targeted TMS treatment by a machine learning based on an anomalous functional connectivity detection matrix. Areas with mostly hyperconnectivity were stimulated with continuous theta burst stimulation and the converse with intermittent theta burst stimulation. An image-guided accelerated theta burst stimulation paradigm was used for treatment. RESULTS: Areas 8Av and PGs demonstrated consistent abnormalities, particularly in the left hemisphere. Significant improvements were demonstrated in anxiety symptoms, and few, minor complications were reported (fatigue (n = 2) and headache (n = 1)). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that a left-lateralized DMN is likely the primary functional network disturbed in anxiety-related disorders, which can be improved by identifying and targeting abnormal regions with a rapid, data-driven, agile aTBS treatment on an individualized basis.
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Conectoma , Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana , Humanos , Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana/métodos , Dados Preliminares , Transtornos de Ansiedade/terapia , Ansiedade , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodosRESUMO
BACKGROUND: Locating the hand-motor-cortex (HMC) is an essential component within many neurosurgeries. Despite advancements in these localization methods there are still downfalls for each. Additionally, the importance of presurgical planning calls for increasingly accurate and efficient methods of locating specific cortical regions. OBJECTIVE: In this study we aimed to test the ability of the Structural Connectivity Atlas (SCA), a machine-learning based method to parcellate the human cortex, to locate the HMC in a small cohort study. METHODS: Using MRI and DTI images obtained from adult subjects (n = 11), personalized brain maps were created for each individual based on a SCA paired with the Brainnetome region for the HMC. Subjects received single pulse TMS, over the HMC region through the use of a neuronavigation system. If they responded with motor movement, this was recorded. The SCA identified HMC region was compared to the visual-determined HMC through identifying the Omega fold on the Precentral Gyrus, which was completed by a trained neuroanatomist. A Kendall's Tau B correlation was conducted between anatomical match and visual movement. RESULTS: This study concluded that the SCA was capable of locating the HMC in healthy and distorted brains. Overall, the SCA defined the anatomical area of the HMC in 90 % of subjects and triggered a motor response in 61 %. CONCLUSION: The SCA could be suitable for incorporation into presurgical planning practices due to its ability to map anatomically abnormal brains. Further studies on larger cohorts and targeting different areas of cortex could be beneficial.
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Mãos , Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana , Adulto , Humanos , Estudos de Coortes , Estimulação Magnética Transcraniana/métodos , Mãos/fisiologia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , Potencial Evocado Motor/fisiologiaRESUMO
Objective: Progressive conditions characterized by cognitive decline, including mild cognitive impairment (MCI) and subjective cognitive decline (SCD) are clinical conditions representing a major risk factor to develop dementia, however, the diagnosis of these pre-dementia conditions remains a challenge given the heterogeneity in clinical trajectories. Earlier diagnosis requires data-driven approaches for improved and targeted treatment modalities. Methods: Neuropsychological tests, baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI (rsfMRI), and diffusion weighted scans were obtained from 35 patients with SCD, 19 with MCI, and 36 age-matched healthy controls (HC). A recently developed machine learning technique, Hollow Tree Super (HoTS) was utilized to classify subjects into diagnostic categories based on their FC, and derive network and parcel-based FC features contributing to each model. The same approach was used to identify features associated with performance in a range of neuropsychological tests. We concluded our analysis by looking at changes in PageRank centrality (a measure of node hubness) between the diagnostic groups. Results: Subjects were classified into diagnostic categories with a high area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC), ranging from 0.73 to 0.84. The language networks were most notably associated with classification. Several central networks and sensory brain regions were predictors of poor performance in neuropsychological tests, suggesting maladaptive compensation. PageRank analysis highlighted that basal and limbic deep brain region, along with the frontal operculum demonstrated a reduction in centrality in both SCD and MCI patients compared to controls. Conclusion: Our methods highlight the potential to explore the underlying neural networks contributing to the cognitive changes and neuroplastic responses in prodromal dementia.
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Objective: Despite its prevalence, insomnia disorder (ID) remains poorly understood. In this study, we used machine learning to analyze the functional connectivity (FC) disturbances underlying ID, and identify potential predictors of treatment response through recurrent transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and pharmacotherapy. Materials and methods: 51 adult patients with chronic insomnia and 42 healthy age and education matched controls underwent baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-stage functional MRI (rsfMRI), and diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). Imaging was repeated for 24 ID patients following four weeks of treatment with pharmacotherapy, with or without rTMS. A recently developed machine learning technique, Hollow Tree Super (HoTS) was used to classify subjects into ID and control groups based on their FC, and derive network and parcel-based FC features contributing to each model. The number of FC anomalies within each network was also compared between responders and non-responders using median absolute deviation at baseline and follow-up. Results: Subjects were classified into ID and control with an area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) of 0.828. Baseline FC anomaly counts were higher in responders than non-responders. Response as measured by the Insomnia Severity Index (ISI) was associated with a decrease in anomaly counts across all networks, while all networks showed an increase in anomaly counts when response was measured using the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index. Overall, responders also showed greater change in all networks, with the Default Mode Network demonstrating the greatest change. Conclusion: Machine learning analysis into the functional connectome in ID may provide useful insight into diagnostic and therapeutic targets.
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Objective: Alzheimer's Disease (AD) is a progressive condition characterized by cognitive decline. AD is often preceded by mild cognitive impairment (MCI), though the diagnosis of both conditions remains a challenge. Early diagnosis of AD, and prediction of MCI progression require data-driven approaches to improve patient selection for treatment. We used a machine learning tool to predict performance in neuropsychological tests in AD and MCI based on functional connectivity using a whole-brain connectome, in an attempt to identify network substrates of cognitive deficits in AD. Methods: Neuropsychological tests, baseline anatomical T1 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), resting-state functional MRI, and diffusion weighted imaging scans were obtained from 149 MCI, and 85 AD patients; and 140 cognitively unimpaired geriatric participants. A novel machine learning tool, Hollow Tree Super (HoTS) was utilized to extract feature importance from each machine learning model to identify brain regions that were associated with deficit and absence of deficit for 11 neuropsychological tests. Results: 11 models attained an area under the receiver operating curve (AUC-ROC) greater than 0.65, while five models had an AUC-ROC ≥ 0.7. 20 parcels of the Human Connectome Project Multimodal Parcelation Atlas matched to poor performance in at least two neuropsychological tests, while 14 parcels were associated with good performance in at least two tests. At a network level, most parcels predictive of both presence and absence of deficit were affiliated with the Central Executive Network, Default Mode Network, and the Sensorimotor Networks. Segregating predictors by the cognitive domain associated with each test revealed areas of coherent overlap between cognitive domains, with the parcels providing possible markers to screen for cognitive impairment. Conclusion: Approaches such as ours which incorporate whole-brain functional connectivity and harness feature importance in machine learning models may aid in identifying diagnostic and therapeutic targets in AD.
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The content and neural representation of autobiographical memories change over time; however, these changes are poorly understood. We hypothesize that the content of memories becomes semanticized, while the neural representation moves from mesial to cortical structures. We conducted an fMRI (functional magnetic resonance imaging) study on the effects of time on autobiographical memory retrieval. Twenty healthy participants were cued by a selection of photographs that represented distinct episodic memories from 1, 2, 6, and 14 years prior to scanning. Our behavioural data of self-report measures of memory qualia suggests a loss of episodic content over time. GLM (general linear model) results demonstrate that across all time points, visual association cortices and mesial temporal lobes were activated. However, we did not observe any GLM differences between memory time points. We used SVM (support vector machine) in order to predict memory time point based on neural activation patterns. We were able to accurately predict classification accuracy for the 1-year (66.7%), 2-year (66.7%), and 14-year (33.4%) memory time points, with an overall classification accuracy of 55.6%. We suggest that our findings can be interpreted in light of cortical semantization; as memories age, they become more semanticized and shift in representation towards cortical structures.
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Memória Episódica , Mapeamento Encefálico , Sinais (Psicologia) , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Rememoração Mental/fisiologia , Lobo TemporalRESUMO
Humans undergo extreme physiological changes when subjected to long periods of weightlessness, and as we continue to become a space-faring species, it is imperative that we fully understand the physiological changes that occur in the human body, including the brain. In this study, we present findings of brain structural changes associated with long-duration spaceflight based on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging (dMRI) data. Twelve cosmonauts who spent an average of six months aboard the International Space Station (ISS) were scanned in an MRI scanner pre-flight, ten days after flight, and at a follow-up time point seven months after flight. We performed differential tractography, a technique that confines white matter fiber tracking to voxels showing microstructural changes. We found significant microstructural changes in several large white matter tracts, such as the corpus callosum, arcuate fasciculus, corticospinal, corticostriatal, and cerebellar tracts. This is the first paper to use fiber tractography to investigate which specific tracts exhibit structural changes after long-duration spaceflight and may direct future research to investigate brain functional and behavioral changes associated with these white matter pathways.
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Voo Espacial , Ausência de Peso , Substância Branca , Astronautas , Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/patologia , Humanos , Substância Branca/diagnóstico por imagem , Substância Branca/patologiaRESUMO
OBJECTIVES: As surprisingly little is known about the developing brain studied in vivo in youth with Down syndrome (DS), the current review summarizes the small DS pediatric structural neuroimaging literature and begins to contextualize existing research within a developmental framework. METHODS: A systematic review of the literature was completed, effect sizes from published studies were reviewed, and results are presented with respect to the DS cognitive behavioral phenotype and typical brain development. RESULTS: The majority of DS structural neuroimaging studies describe gross differences in brain morphometry and do not use advanced neuroimaging methods to provide nuanced descriptions of the brain. There is evidence for smaller total brain volume (TBV), total gray matter (GM) and white matter, cortical lobar, hippocampal, and cerebellar volumes. When reductions in TBV are accounted for, specific reductions are noted in subregions of the frontal lobe, temporal lobe, cerebellum, and hippocampus. A review of cortical lobar effect sizes reveals mostly large effect sizes from early childhood through adolescence. However, deviance is smaller in adolescence. Despite these smaller effects, frontal GM continues to be largely deviant in adolescence. An examination of age-frontal GM relations using effect sizes from published studies and data from Lee et al. (2016) reveals that while there is a strong inverse relationship between age and frontal GM volume in controls across childhood and adolescence, this is not observed in DS. CONCLUSIONS: Further developmentally focused research, ideally using longitudinal neuroimaging, is needed to elucidate the nature of the DS neuroanatomic phenotype during childhood and adolescence. (JINS, 2018, 24, 966-976).
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Encéfalo/diagnóstico por imagem , Encéfalo/crescimento & desenvolvimento , Síndrome de Down/diagnóstico por imagem , Adolescente , Criança , Pré-Escolar , Humanos , Lactente , Recém-NascidoRESUMO
Background: Both an elevated brain-reward-region response to palatable food and elevated weight variability have been shown to predict future weight gain.Objective: We examined whether the brain-reward response to food is related to future weight variability.Design: A total of 162 healthy-weight adolescents, who were aged 14-18 y at baseline, were enrolled in the study and were assessed annually over a 3-y follow-up period with 127 participants completing the final 3-y follow-up assessment. With the use of functional magnetic resonance imaging, we tested whether the neural responses to a cue that signaled an impending milkshake receipt and the receipt of the milkshake predicted weight variability over the follow-up period. Weight variability was modeled with a root mean squared error method to reflect fluctuations in weight independent of the net weight change.Results: Elevated activation in the medial prefrontal cortex and supplementary motor area, cingulate gyrus, cuneus and occipital gyrus, and insula in response to milkshake receipt predicted greater weight variability. Greater activation in the precuneus and middle temporal gyrus predicted lower weight variability.Conclusions: From our study data, we suggest that the elevated activation of reward and emotional-regulation brain regions (medial prefrontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and insula) and lower activation in self-reference regions (precuneus) in response to milkshake receipt predict weight variability over 3 y of follow-up. The fact that the reward response in the current study emerged in response to high-calorie palatable food receipt suggests that weight variability may be a measure of propensity periods of a positive energy balance and should be examined in addition to measures of the net weight change. With our collective results, we suggest that weight variability and its brain correlates should be added to other variables that are predictive of weight gain to inform the design of obesity-preventive programs in adolescents. This trial was registered at clinicaltrials.gov as NCT01807572.
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Encéfalo/fisiologia , Dieta/psicologia , Obesidade/fisiopatologia , Recompensa , Aumento de Peso/fisiologia , Adolescente , Índice de Massa Corporal , Mapeamento Encefálico , Sinais (Psicologia) , Emoções , Ingestão de Energia , Feminino , Alimentos , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Obesidade/psicologia , Valores de Referência , Adulto JovemRESUMO
OBJECTIVE: Predicting cognitive function following resective surgery remains an important clinical goal. Each MRI neuroimaging technique can potentially provide unique and distinct insight into changes that occur in the structural or functional organization of "at-risk" cognitive functions. The authors tested for the singular and combined power of 3 imaging techniques (functional MRI [fMRI], resting state fMRI, diffusion tensor imaging) to predict cognitive outcome following left (dominant) anterior temporal lobectomy for intractable epilepsy. METHODS; The authors calculated the degree of deviation from normal, determined the rate of change in this measure across the pre- and postsurgical imaging sessions, and then compared these measures for their ability to predict verbal fluency changes following surgery. RESULTS: The data show that the 3 neuroimaging techniques, in a combined model, can reliably predict cognitive outcome following anterior temporal lobectomy for medically intractable temporal lobe epilepsy. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that these 3 imaging modalities can be used effectively, in an additive fashion, to predict functional reorganization and cognitive outcome following anterior temporal lobectomy.
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Imagem de Tensor de Difusão/métodos , Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal/psicologia , Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal/cirurgia , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Imagem Multimodal/métodos , Procedimentos Neurocirúrgicos/psicologia , Lobo Temporal/cirurgia , Comportamento Verbal , Adulto , Lobectomia Temporal Anterior/métodos , Cognição , Epilepsia Resistente a Medicamentos/cirurgia , Feminino , Humanos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Procedimentos Neurocirúrgicos/efeitos adversos , Procedimentos Neurocirúrgicos/métodos , Complicações Pós-Operatórias/psicologia , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Descanso , Resultado do Tratamento , Substância Branca/cirurgiaRESUMO
Although it is widely accepted that autism spectrum disorder (ASD) involves neuroanatomical abnormalities and atypical neurodevelopmental patterns, there is little consensus regarding the precise pattern of neuroanatomical differences or how these differences relate to autism symptomology. Furthermore, there is limited research related to neuroanatomical correlates of autism symptomology in individuals with ASD and the studies that do exist primarily include small samples. This study was the first to investigate gray matter (GM) changes throughout the ASD lifespan, using voxel-based morphometry to determine whether significant differences exist in the GM volumes of a large sample of individuals with ASD compared to age- and IQ-matched typical controls. We examined GM volume across the lifespan in 531 individuals diagnosed with ASD and 571 neurotypical controls, aged 7-64. We compared groups and correlated GM with age and autism severity in the ASD group. Findings suggest bilateral decreased GM volume for individuals with ASD in regions extending from the thalamus to the cerebellum, anterior medial temporal lobes, and orbitofrontal regions. Higher autism severity was associated with decreased GM volumes in prefrontal cortex, inferior parietal and temporal regions, and temporal poles. Similar relationships were found between GM volume and age. ASD diagnosis and severity were not associated with increased GM volumes in any region.
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Transtorno do Espectro Autista/patologia , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , Encéfalo/patologia , Adolescente , Adulto , Fatores Etários , Algoritmos , Córtex Cerebral/patologia , Criança , Feminino , Substância Cinzenta/patologia , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Epileptic seizures can initiate a neural circuit and lead to aberrant neural communication with brain areas outside the epileptogenic region. We focus on interictal activity in focal temporal lobe epilepsy and evaluate functional connectivity (FC) differences that emerge as function of bilateral versus strictly unilateral epileptiform activity. We assess the strength of FC at rest between the ictal and non-ictal temporal lobes, in addition to whole brain connectivity with the ictal temporal lobe. Results revealed strong connectivity between the temporal lobes for both patient groups, but this did not vary as a function of unilateral versus bilateral interictal status. Both the left and right unilateral temporal lobe groups showed significant anti-correlated activity in regions outside the epileptogenic temporal lobe, primarily involving the contralateral (non-ictal/non-pathologic) hemisphere, with precuneus involvement prominent. The bilateral groups did not show this contralateral anti-correlated activity. This anti-correlated connectivity may represent a form of protective and adaptive inhibition, helping to constrain epileptiform activity to the pathologic temporal lobe. The absence of this activity in the bilateral groups may be indicative of flawed inhibitory mechanisms, helping to explain their more widespread epileptiform activity. Our data suggest that the location and build up of epilepsy networks in the brain are not truly random, and are not limited to the formation of strictly epileptogenic networks. Functional networks may develop to take advantage of the regulatory function of structures such as the precuneus to instantiate an anti-correlated network, generating protective cortico-cortico inhibition for the purpose of limiting seizure spread or epileptogenesis.
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Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal/fisiopatologia , Vias Neurais/fisiopatologia , Lobo Temporal/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Eletroencefalografia , Feminino , Lateralidade Funcional/fisiologia , Humanos , Processamento de Imagem Assistida por Computador , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-IdadeRESUMO
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), affecting the medial temporal lobe, is a disorder that affects not just episodic memory but also working memory (WM). However, the exact nature of hippocampal-related network activity in visuospatial WM remains unclear. To clarify this, we utilized a functional connectivity (FC) methodology to investigate hippocampal network involvement during the encoding phase of a functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) visuospatial WM task in right and left TLE patients. Specifically, we assessed the relation between FC within right and left hippocampus-seeded networks, and patient performance (rate of correct responses) during the encoding phase of a block span WM task. Results revealed that both TLE groups displayed a negative relation between WM performance and FC between the left hippocampus and ipsilateral parahippocampal gyrus. We also found a positive relationship between performance and FC between the left hippocampus seed and the precuneus, in the right TLE group. Lastly, the left TLE specifically demonstrated a negative relationship between performance and FC between both hippocampi and ipsilateral cerebellar clusters. Our findings indicate that right and left TLE groups may develop different patterns of FC to implement visuospatial WM. Indeed, the present result suggests that FC provides a unique means of identifying abnormalities in brain networks, which cannot be discerned at the level of behavioral output through neuropsychological testing. More broadly, our findings demonstrate that FC methods applied to task-based fMRI provide the opportunity to define specific task-related networks.
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Epilepsia do Lobo Temporal/fisiopatologia , Hipocampo/fisiopatologia , Memória de Curto Prazo/fisiologia , Lobo Temporal/fisiopatologia , Adulto , Mapeamento Encefálico/métodos , Feminino , Humanos , Imageamento por Ressonância Magnética/métodos , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Testes Neuropsicológicos , Lobo Temporal/patologia , Adulto JovemRESUMO
Mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) is the most frequent form of focal epilepsy. At rest, there is evidence that brain abnormalities in MTLE are not limited to the epileptogenic region, but extend throughout the whole brain. It is also well established that MTLE patients suffer from episodic memory deficits. Thus, we investigated the relation between the functional connectivity seen at rest in fMRI and episodic memory impairments in MTLE. We focused on resting state BOLD activity and evaluated whether functional connectivity (FC) differences emerge from MTL seeds in left and right MTLE groups, compared with healthy controls. Results revealed significant FC reductions in both patient groups, localized in angular gyri, thalami, posterior cingulum and medial frontal cortex. We found that the FC between the left non-pathologic MTL and the medial frontal cortex was positively correlated with the delayed recall score of a non-verbal memory test in right MTLE patients, suggesting potential adaptive changes to preserve this memory function. In contrast, we observed a negative correlation between a verbal memory test and the FC between the left pathologic MTL and posterior cingulum in left MTLE patients, suggesting potential functional maladaptative changes in the pathologic hemisphere. Overall, the present study provides some indication that left MTLE may be more impairing than right MTLE patients to normative functional connectivity. Our data also indicates that the pattern of extra-temporal FC may vary as a function of episodic memory material and each hemisphere's capacity for cognitive reorganization.