Abstract
IntroductionBrain cortico-subcortical connectivity has been investigated in epilepsy using the functional MRI (MRI). Although structural images cannot demonstrate dynamic changes, they provide higher spatial resolution, which allows exploration of the organization of brain in greater detail.MethodsWe used high-resolution brain MRI to study the hippocampal-thalamic-cortical networks in temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) using a volume-based morphometric method. We enrolled 22 right-TLE, 33 left-TLE, and 28 age/gender-matched controls retrospectively. FreeSurfer software was used for the thalamus segmentation.ResultsAmong the 50 subfields, ipsilateral anterior, lateral, and parts of the intralaminar and medial nuclei, as well as the contralateral parts of lateral nuclei had significant volume loss in both TLE. The anteroventral nucleus was most vulnerable. Most thalamic subfields were susceptible to seizure burden, especially the left-TLE. SPM12 was used to conduct an analysis of the gray matter density (GMD) maps. Decreased extratemporal GMD occurred bilaterally. Both TLE demonstrated significant GMD loss over the ipsilateral inferior frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, and medial orbital cortices.SignificanceThalamic subfield atrophy was related to the ipsilateral inferior frontal GMD changes, which presented positively in left-TLE and negatively in right-TLE. These findings suggest prefrontal-thalamo-hippocampal network disruption in TLE.
Highlights
Brain cortico-subcortical connectivity has been investigated in epilepsy using the functional MRI (MRI)
When the thalamus was divided into 25 thalamic subfields on each side (Figure 1), significant volume loss was observed in several subfields, which was more prominent on the ipsilateral side in both temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) groups
This study is the first to explore the relationship between volume changes of the deep and the superficial cortices to evaluate the reorganization of the hippocampo-thalamo-cortical volume in TLE using a volumebased morphometric method
Summary
Brain cortico-subcortical connectivity has been investigated in epilepsy using the functional MRI (MRI). Only superficial cortices were thought to be parts of the epilepsy networks. There are growing evidences of the role of deep gray matters in epilepsy networks [1]. Basal ganglion and thalamus are the important gray matter located in the subcortical regions, and they extend many connections to the other cortical regions. The thalamus is an important subcortical hub in the brain, projecting fibers to nearly the whole cerebral cortex. It receives reciprocal connections from the cortices for processing and integration [4]. Thalamic volume and the associated thalamo-cortical connectivity correspond to cognitive performances, motor task behaviors, and verbal memory [5]
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