Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy
BackgroundNowadays, researchers are using advanced multimodal neuroimaging techniques to construct the brain network connectome to elucidate the complex relationship among the networks of brain functions and structure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the coupling of structural connectivi...
Saved in:
| Main Authors: | , , , , |
|---|---|
| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
| Published: |
Frontiers Media S.A.
2023-10-01
|
| Series: | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1272514/full |
| Tags: |
Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
|
| _version_ | 1850024541115383808 |
|---|---|
| author | Xiaoting Huang Yangsa Du Danni Guo Fangfang Xie Chunyao Zhou |
| author_facet | Xiaoting Huang Yangsa Du Danni Guo Fangfang Xie Chunyao Zhou |
| author_sort | Xiaoting Huang |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | BackgroundNowadays, researchers are using advanced multimodal neuroimaging techniques to construct the brain network connectome to elucidate the complex relationship among the networks of brain functions and structure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the coupling of structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) in the entire brain of healthy controls (HCs), and to investigate modifications in SC–FC coupling in individuals suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).MethodsWe evaluated 65 patients with TLE matched for age and gender with 48 healthy controls. The SC–FC coupling between regions was determined, based on which whole-brain nodes were clustered. Differences in the coupling among the three groups of nodes were compared. To further validate the results obtained, the within-cluster coupling indices of the three groups were compared to determine the inter-group differences.ResultsNodes were divided into five clusters. Cluster 1 was primarily located in the limbic system (n = 9/27), whereas cluster 5 was mainly within the visual network (n = 12/29). By comparing average cluster SC–FC coupling in each cluster of the three groups, we identified marked discrepancies within the three cohorts in Cluster 3 (p = 0.001), Cluster 4 (p < 0.001), and Cluster 5 (p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed that the SC–FC coupling strengths in LTLE and RTLE were significantly lower than that in HCs in Cluster 3 (PL = 0.001/PR = 0.003), Cluster 4 (PL = 0.001/PR < 0.001), and Cluster 5 (PL < 0.001/PR < 0.001). We also observed that the within-cluster SC–FC coupling in cluster 5 of left- and right TLE was significantly lower than in HCs (PL = 0.0001, PR = 0.0005).ConclusionThe SC and FC are inconsistently coupled across the brain with spatial heterogeneity. In the fifth cluster with the highest degree of coupling in HCs, the average SC–FC coupling index of individuals with TLE was notably less than that of HCs, manifesting that brain regions with high coupling may be more delicate and prone to pathological disruption. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-bb7b271c29814caa84b0648701af65ad |
| institution | DOAJ |
| issn | 1662-453X |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2023-10-01 |
| publisher | Frontiers Media S.A. |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Frontiers in Neuroscience |
| spelling | doaj-art-bb7b271c29814caa84b0648701af65ad2025-08-20T03:01:04ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Neuroscience1662-453X2023-10-011710.3389/fnins.2023.12725141272514Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsyXiaoting Huang0Yangsa Du1Danni Guo2Fangfang Xie3Chunyao Zhou4Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaDepartment of Neurosurgery, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, ChinaBackgroundNowadays, researchers are using advanced multimodal neuroimaging techniques to construct the brain network connectome to elucidate the complex relationship among the networks of brain functions and structure. The objective of this study was to evaluate the coupling of structural connectivity (SC) and functional connectivity (FC) in the entire brain of healthy controls (HCs), and to investigate modifications in SC–FC coupling in individuals suffering from temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE).MethodsWe evaluated 65 patients with TLE matched for age and gender with 48 healthy controls. The SC–FC coupling between regions was determined, based on which whole-brain nodes were clustered. Differences in the coupling among the three groups of nodes were compared. To further validate the results obtained, the within-cluster coupling indices of the three groups were compared to determine the inter-group differences.ResultsNodes were divided into five clusters. Cluster 1 was primarily located in the limbic system (n = 9/27), whereas cluster 5 was mainly within the visual network (n = 12/29). By comparing average cluster SC–FC coupling in each cluster of the three groups, we identified marked discrepancies within the three cohorts in Cluster 3 (p = 0.001), Cluster 4 (p < 0.001), and Cluster 5 (p < 0.001). Post-hoc analysis revealed that the SC–FC coupling strengths in LTLE and RTLE were significantly lower than that in HCs in Cluster 3 (PL = 0.001/PR = 0.003), Cluster 4 (PL = 0.001/PR < 0.001), and Cluster 5 (PL < 0.001/PR < 0.001). We also observed that the within-cluster SC–FC coupling in cluster 5 of left- and right TLE was significantly lower than in HCs (PL = 0.0001, PR = 0.0005).ConclusionThe SC and FC are inconsistently coupled across the brain with spatial heterogeneity. In the fifth cluster with the highest degree of coupling in HCs, the average SC–FC coupling index of individuals with TLE was notably less than that of HCs, manifesting that brain regions with high coupling may be more delicate and prone to pathological disruption.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1272514/fullfunctional connectivitystructural connectivitytemporal lobe epilepsystructural–functional couplinghuman brain |
| spellingShingle | Xiaoting Huang Yangsa Du Danni Guo Fangfang Xie Chunyao Zhou Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy Frontiers in Neuroscience functional connectivity structural connectivity temporal lobe epilepsy structural–functional coupling human brain |
| title | Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| title_full | Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| title_fullStr | Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| title_full_unstemmed | Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| title_short | Structural–functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| title_sort | structural functional coupling abnormalities in temporal lobe epilepsy |
| topic | functional connectivity structural connectivity temporal lobe epilepsy structural–functional coupling human brain |
| url | https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnins.2023.1272514/full |
| work_keys_str_mv | AT xiaotinghuang structuralfunctionalcouplingabnormalitiesintemporallobeepilepsy AT yangsadu structuralfunctionalcouplingabnormalitiesintemporallobeepilepsy AT danniguo structuralfunctionalcouplingabnormalitiesintemporallobeepilepsy AT fangfangxie structuralfunctionalcouplingabnormalitiesintemporallobeepilepsy AT chunyaozhou structuralfunctionalcouplingabnormalitiesintemporallobeepilepsy |