title: Valproate treatment normalizes EEG functional connectivity in successfully treated idiopathic generalized epilepsy patients.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the effect of chronic VPA treatment of EEG functional connectivity in successfully treated idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  19-channel waking, resting-state EEG records of 26 IGE patients were analyzed before treatment (IGE) and after the 90th day of treatment (VPA), in seizure-free condition. Three minutes of artifact-free EEG background activity (without epileptiform potentials) was analyzed for each patient in both conditions. A group of 26 age-matched healthy normative control persons (NC) was analyzed in the same way. All the EEG samples were processed to LORETA (Low Resolution Electromagnetic Tomography) to localize multiple distributed sources of EEG activity. Current source density time series were generated for 33 regions of interest (ROI) in each hemisphere for four frequency bands. Pearson correlation coefficients (R) were computed between all ROIs in each hemisphere, for four bands across the investigated samples. R values corresponded to intrahemispheric, cortico-cortical functional EEG connectivity (EEGfC). Group and condition differences were analyzed by statistical parametric network method.
  
  
  RESULTS
  p<0.05, corrected for multiple comparisons: (1) The untreated IGE group showed increased EEGfC in the delta and theta bands, and decreased EEGfC in the alpha band (as compared to the NC group); (2) VPA treatment normalized EEGfC in the delta, theta and alpha bands; and (3) degree of normalization depended on frequency band and cortical region.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  VPA treatment normalizes EEGfC in IGE patients.
authors.affiliation: Kenézy Gyula County Hospital, Department of Neurology, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: B
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Clemens
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Medical Center, Department of Neurology, Debrecen, Hungary. Electronic address: szilvia.puskas@yahoo.com.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Puskás
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Medical Center, Department of Pediatrics, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Besenyei
authors.affiliation: Kenézy Gyula County Hospital, Department of Neurology, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: N Zs
authors.initials: NZ
authors.lastname: Kovács
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Spisák
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: S A
authors.initials: SA
authors.lastname: Kis
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Department of Nuclear Medicine, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Emri
authors.affiliation: University of Pécs, Department of Pediatrics, Pécs, Hungary.
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hollódy
authors.affiliation: Epilepsy Center, Bethesda Children's Hospital, Budapest, Hungary.
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Fogarasi
authors.affiliation: Balassa János Hospital, Department of Neurology, Szekszárd, Hungary.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Kondákor
authors.affiliation: University of Debrecen, Medical Center, Department of Neurology, Debrecen, Hungary.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Fekete
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000513:Alpha Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D001921:Brain / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D001931:Brain Mapping; D002648:Child; D003700:Delta Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D004569:Electroencephalography; D004829:Epilepsy, Generalized / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009434:Neural Pathways / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D012815:Signal Processing, Computer-Assisted; D013826:Theta Rhythm / Q000187:drug effects; D014635:Valproic Acid / Q000627:therapeutic use*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D000927:Anticonvulsants; D014635:Valproic Acid
keywords: EEG functional connectivity; Idiopathic generalized epilepsy; Valproate