Details:

Alternative Title:
Epilepsia
Personal Author:
Leigh N., Sepeta ; Louise J., Croft ; Lauren A., Zimmaro ; Elizabeth S., Duke ; Virginia K., Terwilliger ; ... More +
Leigh N., Sepeta ; Louise J., Croft ; Lauren A., Zimmaro ; Elizabeth S., Duke ; Virginia K., Terwilliger ; Benjamin E., Yerys ; Xiaozhen., You ; Chandan J., Vaidya ; William D., Gaillard ; Madison M., Berl Less -
Description:
Objective

Functional connectivity (FC) among language regions is decreased in adults with epilepsy compared to controls, but less is known about FC in children with epilepsy. We sought to determine if language FC is reduced in pediatric epilepsy, and examined clinical factors that associate with language FC in this population.

Methods

We assessed FC during an age-adjusted language task in children with left-hemisphere focal epilepsy (n=19) compared to controls (n=19). Time series data were extracted for three left ROIs and their right homologues: inferior frontal gyrus (IFG), middle frontal gyrus (MFG), and Wernicke's area (WA) using SPM8. Associations between FC and factors such as cognitive performance, language dominance, and epilepsy duration were assessed.

Results

Children with epilepsy showed decreased interhemispheric connectivity compared to controls, particularly between core left language regions (IFG, WA) and their right hemisphere homologues, as well as decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. Increased intrahemispheric FC between left IFG and left WA was a positive predictor of language skills overall, and naming ability in particular. FC of language areas was not affected by language dominance, as the effects remained when only examining study participants with left language dominance. Overall FC did not differ according to duration of epilepsy or age of onset.

Significance

FC during a language task is reduced in children, similar to findings in adults. In specific, children with left focal epilepsy demonstrated decreased interhemispheric FC in temporal and frontal language connections and decreased intrahemispheric right frontal FC. These differences were present near the onset of epilepsy. Greater FC between left language centers is related to better language ability. Our results highlight that connectivity of language areas has a developmental pattern and is related to cognitive ability.


Subject:
[+]
Article
Brain Mapping
Child
Child, Preschool
Epilepsy
Female
Frontal Lobe
Functional Laterality
Functional Neuroimaging
Humans
Image Processing, Computer-Assisted
Infant
Language
Language Tests
Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Male
Neuropsychological Assessment
Seizures
Temporal Lobe

Source:
Epilepsia. 56(2):273-282
Pubmed ID:
25516399
Pubmed Central ID:
PMC4340750
Document Type:
Journal Article
Funding:
U01 DP003255/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; K23 NS065121/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; 5K23NS065121-01A2/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HD046388/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; P30 HD040677/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; ... More +
U01 DP003255/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; K23 NS065121/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; 5K23NS065121-01A2/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; T32 HD046388/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; P30 HD040677/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; K23 MH086111/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 MH084961/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01MH084961/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; R01 NS044280/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; 1P30HD40677-01/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; R21 MH092615/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 5K23MH086111/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; MH084961/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 1UO1DP003255/DP/NCCDPHP CDC HHS/United States ; 2K12NS052159-06A1/NS/NINDS NIH HHS/United States ; 1R21MH092615/MH/NIMH NIH HHS/United States ; 5T32HD046388-08/HD/NICHD NIH HHS/United States ; M01 RR020359/RR/NCRR NIH HHS/United States Less -
Collection(s):
CDC Public Access
Main Document Checksum:
[+]
urn:sha256:0afeed06e3d8dbe071979f2166e25ad8f9222251b6011d762a3caf55077e193a
File Type:

Supporting Files

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