# Multimodal analysis of interictal and ictal brain connectivity in temporal lobe epilepsy

> **NIH NIH F31** · VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY · 2020 · $30,214

## Abstract

7. PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT
Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is the most common form of epilepsy, a debilitating disease that affects 50
million people in the world. In TLE, seizure onset is typically localized to an epileptogenic zone (EZ) in the
mesial temporal lobe. Unfortunately, the negative effects of TLE are not limited to the EZ. Previous studies
have shown widespread neocortical decreases in resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) in patients with
TLE versus healthy controls and have related these RSFC decreases to neuropsychological impairments.
Previous works have resulted in the “network inhibition hypothesis,” that proposes that focal seizures may
influence widespread neocortex by affecting deep arousal structures that are important for cortical activation.
The hypothesis of this proposed work is that recurrent seizures in patients with TLE result in altered
connectivity between arousal structures and the neocortex, leading to decreased neocortical connectivity and
impaired neurocognition. To explore this hypothesis, this work will use an innovative, multimodal approach to
overcome the limitations of prior TLE studies to elucidate brain network dysfunction and its clinical implications.
First, this study will use functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to measure RSFC between arousal
center structures and the neocortex in pre-operative patients with TLE. Then, to determine if surgical treatment
results in improved connectivity in patients that achieve seizure freedom after surgery, fMRI connectivity
analyses will be repeated at least one year after surgery (Aim 1). Second, to understand the clinical
implications of arousal center network perturbations, pre- and post-operative RSFC patterns will be related to
clinical measures of disease severity and specific neurocognitive parameters. This work expects that larger
RSFC perturbations will be associated with increased disease severity and worse neurocognitive performance,
and that after surgery patients with seizure freedom will experience improvement in neurocognitive domains
most closely related to frontoparietal function (Aim 2). Third, thus far, no direct relationship has been shown
between ictal network perturbations and interictal connectivity disturbances. This work will address this
knowledge gap by performing dynamic functional connectivity (DFC) analyses using intracranial EEG during
and between CPS and SPS. This work expects that during CPS, but not SPS, neocortical DFC will be
decreased compared to interictal connectivity (Aim 3). This proposed fellowship will provide research training in
in a collaborative research atmosphere with expert mentors in translational neuroscience and engineering
research. Research training will be conducted in an environment that combines an academic medical center
with a level 4 epilepsy center, world class imaging institute, and engineering all on one campus, ensuring an
environment uniquely suited to excellent training in all aspects o...

## Key facts

- **NIH application ID:** 10002315
- **Project number:** 5F31NS106735-03
- **Recipient organization:** VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY
- **Principal Investigator:** Hernan Francisco Jose Gonzalez
- **Activity code:** F31 (R01, R21, SBIR, etc.)
- **Funding institute:** NIH
- **Fiscal year:** 2020
- **Award amount:** $30,214
- **Award type:** 5
- **Project period:** 2018-09-30 → 2021-09-29

## Primary source

NIH RePORTER: https://reporter.nih.gov/project-details/10002315

## Citation

> US National Institutes of Health, RePORTER application 10002315, Multimodal analysis of interictal and ictal brain connectivity in temporal lobe epilepsy (5F31NS106735-03). Retrieved via AI Analytics 2026-05-26 from https://api.ai-analytics.org/grant/nih/10002315. Licensed CC0.

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