title: Changes in functional organization and functional connectivity during story listening in children with benign childhood epilepsy with centro-temporal spikes.
abstract: Children with Benign Epilepsy with Centrotemporal Spikes (BECTS), despite high likelihood for seizure remission, are reported to have subtle difficulties in language and other cognitive skills. We used functional MRI and a story listening task to examine the effect of BECTS on patterns of activation and connectivity. Language and cognitive skills were assessed using standardized measures. Twenty-four children with recently diagnosed BECTS and 40 typically-developing children participated. In a functionally-defined region of interest in right inferior frontal gyrus, BECTS patients showed a lower level of activation. Across both groups combined, increased activation in superior/middle temporal regions of interest was associated with better language scores. Connectivity in the story processing network was similar between groups, but connectivity within left inferior frontal gyrus was decreased in children with BECTS. These results suggest that language networks are largely maintained in new-onset BECTS, but some subtle changes in activation and connectivity can be observed.
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States. Electronic address: Jennifer.Vannest@cchmc.org.
authors.forename: Jennifer
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Vannest
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Thomas C
authors.initials: TC
authors.lastname: Maloney
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Jeffrey R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Tenney
authors.affiliation: University of Alabama at Birmingham, United States.
authors.forename: Jerzy P
authors.initials: JP
authors.lastname: Szaflarski
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Diego
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Morita
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Anna W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Byars
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Mekibib
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Altaye
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Scott K
authors.initials: SK
authors.lastname: Holland
authors.affiliation: Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, United States.
authors.forename: Tracy A
authors.initials: TA
authors.lastname: Glauser
mesh_terms: D001307:Auditory Perception / Q000502:physiology*; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D004569:Electroencephalography / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends; D019305:Epilepsy, Rolandic / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods / Q000639:trends*; D008297:Male; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D017397:Prefrontal Cortex / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology
keywords: Benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes; Electroencephalography; Functional connectivity; Receptive language; Story processing; functional MRI