title: Epileptic discharges specifically affect intrinsic connectivity networks during absence seizures.
abstract: Intrinsic connectivity network (ICN) technique provides a feasible way for evaluating cognitive impairments in epilepsy. This EEG-fMRI study aims to comprehensively assess the alterations of ICNs affected by generalized spike-and-wave discharge (GSWD) during absence seizure (AS). Twelve fMRI sessions with GSWD, and individually paired non-GSWD sessions were acquired from 16 patients with AS. Ten ICNs corresponding to seizure origination and cognitive processes were extracted using independent component analysis. Intra- and inter-network connectivity alterations of the ICNs were observed through comparisons between GSWD and non-GSWD sessions. Sequential correlation analysis between GSWD and the ICN time courses addressed the immediate effects of GSWD on ICNs during AS. GSWD-related increase of intra-network connectivity was found only in the thalamus, and extensive decreases were found in the ICNs corresponding to higher-order cognitive processes including the default-mode network, dorsal attention network, central executive network and salience network. The perceptive networks and motor network were less affected by GSWD. Sequential correlation analysis further demonstrated different responses of the ICNs to GSWD. In addition to GSWD-related functional excitation in the thalamus and functional suspension in the default-mode network, this study revealed extensive inhibitions in the other ICNs corresponding to higher-order cognitive processes, and spared perceptive and motor processes in AS. GSWD elevated synchronization of brain network activity and sequentially affected the ICNs.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China. Electronic address: zhangzq2001@126.com.
authors.forename: Zhiqiang
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China; Center for Cognition and Brain Disorders and the Affiliated Hospital, Hangzhou Normal University, Hangzhou 310015, China.
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Liao
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Zhengge
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Qiang
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Fang
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3UD, United Kingdom; Department of Health Sciences and Technology, ETH Zurich, Zurich 8057, Switzerland.
authors.forename: Dante
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Mantini
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Qing
authors.initials: Q
authors.lastname: Jiao
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China.
authors.forename: Lei
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Tian
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience & Psychiatry, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA.
authors.forename: Yijun
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.affiliation: Department of Medical Imaging, Jinling Hospital, Nanjing University School of Medicine, Nanjing 210002, China. Electronic address: cjr.luguangming@vip.163.com.
authors.forename: Guangming
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lu
mesh_terms: D000200:Action Potentials / Q000502:physiology*; D000293:Adolescent; D001921:Brain / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D004832:Epilepsy, Absence / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Absence seizures; EEG; Generalized spike and wave discharge; Independent component analysis; Intrinsic connectivity network; fMRI