title: Structural connectivity based whole brain modelling in epilepsy.
abstract: Epilepsy is a neurological condition characterised by the recurrence of seizures. During seizures multiple brain areas can behave abnormally. Rather than considering each abnormal area in isolation, one can consider them as an interconnected functional 'network'. Recently, there has been a shift in emphasis to consider epilepsy as a disorder involving more widespread functional brain networks than perhaps was previously thought. The basis for these functional networks is proposed to be the static structural brain network established through the connectivity of the white matter. Additionally, it has also been argued that time varying aspects of epilepsy are of crucial importance and as such computational models of these dynamical properties have recently advanced. We describe how dynamic computer models can be combined with static human in vivo connectivity obtained through diffusion weighted magnetic resonance imaging. We predict that in future the use of these two methods in concert will lead to predictions for optimal surgery and brain stimulation sites for epilepsy and other neurological disorders.
authors.affiliation: School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, UK. Electronic address: peter.taylor@ncl.ac.uk.
authors.forename: Peter Neal
authors.initials: PN
authors.lastname: Taylor
authors.affiliation: School of Computing Science, Newcastle University, UK; Institute of Neuroscience, Newcastle University, UK.
authors.forename: Marcus
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kaiser
authors.affiliation: School of Electrical & Electronic Engineering, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.
authors.forename: Justin
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Dauwels
mesh_terms: D001921:Brain / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003198:Computer Simulation; D038524:Diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods; D004827:Epilepsy / Q000503:physiopathology* / Q000628:therapy; D006801:Humans; D008959:Models, Neurological; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Computational model; Connectome; Diffusion weighted imaging; Dynamics; Epilepsy; Network