局灶性癫痫儿童/青少年患者脑结构-功能连接耦合特征

Coupling characteristics of brain structure-function connection in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy

目的观察局灶性癫痫儿童/青少年患者大脑结构连接与功能连接的耦合特征。方法纳入50例局灶性癫痫儿童/青少年患者(癫痫组)和42名健康儿童/青少年(对照组),比较组间智力测试评分。采集全脑高分辨T1结构像,行弥散张量成像和静息态血氧水平依赖扫描,分别构建结构连接网络和功能连接网络,比较组间有效连接边数量和结构-功能耦合系数的差异。采用Pearson相关或Spearman秩相关系数描述癫痫组耦合系数与临床资料的相关性。结果癫痫组语言智商、总智商、结构-功能耦合系数及有效连接边数量均显著低于对照组(P均<0.05)。癫痫组耦合系数与首次发作年龄、语言智商、操作智商及总智商间均呈正相关(P均<0.05)。结论局灶性癫痫儿童/青少年患者脑结构-功能连接发生解耦合,且与癫痫首次发作年龄及智商相关。

Objective To observe the coupling characteristics of brain structural connection and functional connection in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy.Methods Fifty children and adolescents with focal epilepsy(epilepsy group)and 42 healthy ones(control group)were enrolled.The intelligence test was performed,and the scores were compared between groups.All subjects underwent brain high-resolution T1 structural imaging acquisition,diffusion tensor imaging and resting state blood oxygenation level dependent imaging scanning.The structural network and functional network were constructed,respectively,and the differences of the amounts of effective connection edges and structure function coupling coefficient were compared between groups.Pearson correlation or Spearman rank correlation coefficient was used to describe the correlations of coupling coefficient and clinical data of epilepsy group.Results The language IQ,full scale IQ,structure function coupling coefficient and the amounts of effective junctions in epilepsy group were significantly lower than those in control group(all P<0.05).The coupling coefficient of epilepsy group was positively correlated with the age of onset,language IQ,performance IQ and full scale IQ(all P<0.05).Conclusion Brain structure-function connection in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy decoupled and correlated with the age of onset and IQ.