To explore the potential mechanisms of cognitive impairment in children with MRI-negative pharmacoresistant epilepsy due to focal cortical dysplasia: A pilot study from gray matter structure view

作者：Yilin Zhao, Jieqiong Lin, Xinxin Qi, Dezhi Cao, Fengjun Zhu, Li Chen, Zeshi Tan, Tong Mo, Hongwu Zeng · 发表于：Heliyon · 年份：2024 · DOI：10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e26609 · 被引用次数：5 · 研究领域：Epilepsy research and treatment、Functional Brain Connectivity Studies、Neuroscience and Neuropharmacology Research

Objectives . To investigate the characteristics of brain structure in children with focal cortical dysplasia (FCD)-induced pharmacoresistant epilepsy, and explore the potential mechanisms of cognitive impairment from the view of gray matter alteration. Methods . 25 pharmacoresistant pediatric patients with pathologically confirmed focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), and 25 gender-matched healthy controls were included in this study. 3.0T MRI data and intelligence tests using the Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Forth Edition (WISC-IV) were generated for all subjects. Voxel-based morphometry (VBM)-diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated lie algebra (DARTEL) and surface-based morphometry (SBM) analyses were performed to analyze gray matter volume and cortical structure. Two-sample t-tests were used to compare the differences in gray matter volume (P＜0.05, FWE) and cortical thickness (P＜0.001, FWE) between the two groups. Also, the Spearman rank correlation analyses were employed to determine the relationship between structural alterations and neuropsychological results. Results The WISC-IV scores of the FCD group were significantly lower than those of the HC group in terms of full-scale intelligence quotient (FSIQ), verbal comprehension index (VCI), perceptual reasoning index (PRI), working memory index (WMI), and processing speed index (PSI) (all P ＜0.01). Compared with the HC group, in the FCD group, the gray matter volume (GMV) reduced significantly i...