title: Cerebro-cerebellar functional connectivity profile of an epilepsy patient with periventricular nodular heterotopia.
abstract: Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PNH) is a rare malformation of cortical development often associated with drug resistant focal onset epilepsy. The link between nodules and neocortex have been demonstrated with depth electrodes investigations showing that seizures may arise from both structures. In the last years fMRI resting-state (fMRI-RS) have received a surge in interest due to its capability to track non-invasively physiological and pathological relevant differences in brain network organization. We performed a cerebro-cerebellar voxel-wise and region-of-interest resting state fMRI (RS-fMRI) functional connectivity analysis in a seizure-free epilepsy patient with a PNH in the right temporal horn. Our finding confirms a spontaneous synchronization between PNH and its surrounding cortex, specifically in the inferior temporal, fusiform and occipital gyrus. We also found a significant connectivity with bilateral cerebellum, more intense and widespread on the PNH cerebellar contralateral lobule. RS-fMRI confirmed its potential as a promising tool for non-invasive mapping of cortical and subcortical brain functional organization.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurological, Neurosurgical and Behavioral Sciences, University of Siena, Siena, Italy. emilianosantarnecchi@gmail.com
authors.forename: Santarnecchi
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Emiliano
authors.forename: Vatti
authors.initials: V
authors.lastname: Giampaolo
authors.forename: Marino
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Daniela
authors.forename: Polizzotto
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Nicola
authors.forename: Cerase
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Alfonso
authors.forename: Rocchi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Raffaele
authors.forename: Rossi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Alessandro
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000503:physiopathology*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology*; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology; D054091:Periventricular Nodular Heterotopia / Q000150:complications / Q000503:physiopathology*