title: Looking for complexity in quantitative semiology of frontal and temporal lobe seizures using neuroethology and graph theory.
abstract: Epileptic syndromes and seizures are the expression of complex brain systems. Because no analysis of complexity has been applied to epileptic seizure semiology, our goal was to apply neuroethology and graph analysis to the study of the complexity of behavioral manifestations of epileptic seizures in human frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE) and temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). We analyzed the video recordings of 120 seizures of 18 patients with FLE and 28 seizures of 28 patients with TLE. All patients were seizure-free >1 year after surgery (Engel Class I). All patients' behavioral sequences were analyzed by means of a glossary containing all behaviors and analyzed for neuroethology (Ethomatic software). The same series were used for graph analysis (CYTOSCAPE). Behaviors, displayed as nodes, were connected by edges to other nodes according to their temporal sequence of appearance. Using neuroethology analysis, we confirmed data in the literature such as in FLE: brief/frequent seizures, complex motor behaviors, head and eye version, unilateral/bilateral tonic posturing, speech arrest, vocalization, and rapid postictal recovery and in the case of TLE: presence of epigastric aura, lateralized dystonias, impairment of consciousness/speech during ictal and postictal periods, and development of secondary generalization. Using graph analysis metrics of FLE and TLE confirmed data from flowcharts. However, because of the algorithms we used, they highlighted more powerfully the connectivity and complex associations among behaviors in a quite selective manner, depending on the origin of the seizures. The algorithms we used are commonly employed to track brain connectivity from EEG and MRI sources, which makes our study very promising for future studies of complexity in this field.
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Poliana
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Bertti
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Physics Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Philosophy, Science and Letters, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Julian
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Tejada
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Ana Paula Pinheiro
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Martins
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Maria Luiza Cleto
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Dal-Cól
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Vera Cristina
authors.initials: VC
authors.lastname: Terra
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: José Antônio Cortes
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: de Oliveira
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Tonicarlo Rodrigues
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Velasco
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil.
authors.forename: Américo Ceiki
authors.initials: AC
authors.lastname: Sakamoto
authors.affiliation: Neurophysiology and Experimental Neuroethology Laboratory, Physiology Department, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil; Epilepsy Surgery Center, Department of Neuroscience and Behavioral Sciences, Ribeirão Preto School of Medicine, University of São Paulo, USP, Ribeirão Preto, Brazil. Electronic address: ngcairas@fmrp.usp.br.
authors.forename: Norberto
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Garcia-Cairasco
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D003943:Diagnostic Techniques, Neurological; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods; D017034:Epilepsy, Frontal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004833:Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005010:Ethology / Q000379:methods; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008959:Models, Neurological; D012640:Seizures / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014741:Video Recording
keywords: Behavioral sequences; Clinical manifestations; Complexity; Graph; Seizure semiology