title: Functional connectivity MRI and post-operative language performance in temporal lobe epilepsy: initial experience.
abstract: Anterior temporal lobectomy is an effective treatment for drug-resistant epilepsy of temporal origin, although new language impairment may develop after surgery. Since correlations between functional connectivity (FC) MRI of the language network and verbal-IQ performance before surgery have recently been reported, we investigated the existence of correlations between the preoperative FC of the language network and post-operative verbal-IQ decline. FC between nodes of the language network of the two hemispheres (Interhemispheric-FC) and within nodes of the left hemisphere (LH-FC) and language lateralization indexes were estimated in five right-handed patients with non-tumoral left temporal lobe epilepsy undergoing anterior temporal lobectomy. Correlations between preoperative FC measures and lateralization indexes, and the post-operative (12 months) neuropsychological verbal-IQ decline were investigated. Verbal-IQ decline was inversely correlated with the degree of left lateralization and directly correlated with the strength of Interhemispheric-FC. No significant correlation was found between LH-FC and post-operative verbal-IQ change. The results from this limited number of patients suggest that a stronger preoperative connectivity between homologue regions, associated with the absence of a definite hemispheric lateralization, appears to be an unfavorable prognostic biomarker.
authors.affiliation: Neuroradiology Department, Neurocenter of Italian Switzerland; Lugano, Switzerland - Department of Neuroradiology, Catholic University of Rome; Rome, Italy - emanuele.pravata@gmail.com.
authors.forename: Emanuele
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Pravatà
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and ITAB - Institute Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. d'Annunzio" University; Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Carlo
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Sestieri
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurosurgery, Catholic University of Rome; Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriella
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Colicchio
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroradiology, Catholic University of Rome; Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Cesare
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Colosimo
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and ITAB - Institute Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. d'Annunzio" University; Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Gian Luca
authors.initials: GL
authors.lastname: Romani
authors.affiliation: Department of Neuroscience and Imaging and ITAB - Institute Advanced Biomedical Technologies, "G. d'Annunzio" University; Chieti-Pescara, Italy.
authors.forename: Massimo
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Caulo
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D038481:Anterior Temporal Lobectomy / Q000379:methods*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000601:surgery*; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011300:Preoperative Care; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: epilepsy; functional neuroimaging; language; magnetic resonance imaging; temporal lobe
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