Regional homogeneity (ReHo) changes in new onset versus chronic benign epilepsy of childhood with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS): A resting state fMRI study.
OBJECTIVE
The purpose of this study was to investigate regional homogeneity (ReHo) in children with new-onset drug-naïve Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS), chronic BECTS and healthy controls (HC) using the Regional Homogeneity (ReHo) method applied to resting state fMRI data.


METHODS
Resting state fMRI data was collected from three groups of children aged 6-13, including new onset drug naïve BECTS, chronic BECTS with medication, and HC; the data analyzed by ReHo method. Mandarin school exams scores were acquired and compared across groups.


RESULTS
There were three main findings. Firstly, compared with HC, abnormally increased ReHo was observed in bilateral sensorimotor regions in new onset BECTS which normalized or even reversed in the chronic BECTS group. Secondly, enhanced ReHo was found in the left frontal language region in the two BECTS groups, with even higher ReHo value in the chronic group. Lastly, decreased ReHo was found in regions of the default mode network (DMN), bilateral occipital lobes and cerebellum in both the new onset and chronic BECTS groups, lower in chronic BECTS. Behavioral analyses of school scores showed the chronic BECTS group presented significantly lower scores compared to HC (p<.05).


CONCLUSIONS
The coherence of low frequency fluctuations is disrupted in sensorimotor, language and DMN-related regions in new-onset BECTS. Some of these effects seem to be selectively normalized in chronic BECTS, thus allowing us to explore possible chronicity and AED-induced effects on BECTS. Abnormal ReHo in left language and DMN regions could be responsible for impairments of cognitive function.
Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China; Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: homerzeng@126.com.
Hongwu
H
Zeng
Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: camille.garcia23@gmail.com.
Camille Garcia
CG
Ramos
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: vnair@uwhealth.org.
Veena A
VA
Nair
Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: 2680224170@qq.com.
Yan
Y
Hu
Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: liaojianxiang@vip.sina.com.
Jianxiang
J
Liao
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; Neurosciences Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: cla.wisc@gmail.com.
Christian
C
La
Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: chenli2000@126.com.
Li
L
Chen
Department of Radiology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: ganyungen@yahoo.com.
Yungen
Y
Gan
Department of Neurology, Shenzhen Children's Hospital, Guangdong, China. Electronic address: fwen62@126.com.
Feiqiu
F
Wen
Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: hermann@neurology.wisc.edu.
Bruce
B
Hermann
Department of Radiology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; Department of Medical Physics, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; Neurosciences Training Program, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin, Madison, USA. Electronic address: VPrabhakaran@uwhealth.org.
Vivek
V
Prabhakaran
D017668:Age of Onset; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D000927:Anticonvulsants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001921:Brain / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000187:drug effects / Q000503:physiopathology; D002648:Child; D002908:Chronic Disease; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000473:pathology*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010100:Oxygen / Q000097:blood; D012146:Rest
D000927:Anticonvulsants; D010100:Oxygen
BECTS; Epilepsy; Pediatric; Regional homogeneity; Resting state; fMRI