Rinsho Shinkeigaku (Clinical Neurology)

Symposium 32

Epilepsy and functional brain networks

Taira Uehara, M.D.1), Hiroshi Shigeto, M.D., Ph.D.1) and Jun-ichi Kira, M.D., Ph.D.1)

1)Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute Graduate School of Medical Sciences, Kyushu University

Recent resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI) studies have demonstrated that the human brain is composed of several essential large-scale functional brain networks, including the "default-mode network". We analyzed electrocorticogram data from four patients with intractable focal epilepsy and compared the extent of these large-scale functional brain networks with propagation pathways of ictal discharge. We found that large-scale functional brain networks had markedly similar spatial patterns compared with multisite ictal fast activity, suggesting that some epileptic activity propagates along large-scale functional brain networks. Given that decreased functional connectivity in large-scale functional brain networks has been reported in patients with focal epilepsy, ictal propagation may lead to chronic alteration of normal functional networks in the brain.
Full Text of this Article in Japanese PDF (800K)

(CLINICA NEUROL, 54: 1139|1141, 2014)
key words: epilepsy, functional brain networks, resting-state functional MRI, network analysis, electrocorticogram

(Received: 24-May-14)