Exploring the core network of the structural covariance network in childhood absence epilepsy
Merel J.A. Eussen,
Jacobus F.A. Jansen,
Twan P.C. Voncken,
Mariette H.J.A. Debeij-Van Hall,
Jos G.M. Hendriksen,
R. Jeroen Vermeulen,
Sylvia Klinkenberg,
Walter H. Backes,
Gerhard S. Drenthen
Affiliations
Merel J.A. Eussen
Department of Biomedical Technology, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Jacobus F.A. Jansen
Department of Electrical Engineering, Eindhoven University of Technology, Eindhoven, the Netherlands; Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Twan P.C. Voncken
Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
Mariette H.J.A. Debeij-Van Hall
Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
Jos G.M. Hendriksen
School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Epilepsy Center Kempenhaeghe, Heeze, the Netherlands
R. Jeroen Vermeulen
School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Sylvia Klinkenberg
Department of Neurology, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Walter H. Backes
Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Gerhard S. Drenthen
Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; School for Mental Health and Neuroscience, Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, the Netherlands; Corresponding author. Department of Radiology & Nuclear Medicine, Maastricht University Medical Center, PO Box 5800, 6202 AZ Maastricht, the Netherlands.
Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is a generalized pediatric epilepsy, which is generally considered to be a benign condition since most children become seizure-free before reaching adulthood. However, cognitive deficits and changes of brain morphological have been previously reported in CAE. These morphological changes, even if they might be very subtle, are not independent due to the underlying network structure and can be captured by the structural covariance network (SCN).In this study, SCNs were used to quantify the structural brain network for children with CAE as well as controls. Seventeen children with CAE (6-12y) and fifteen controls (6-12y) were included. To estimate the SCN, T1-weighted images were acquired and parcellated into 68 cortical regions. Graph measures characterizing the core network architecture, i.e. the assortativity and rich-club coefficient, were calculated for all individuals. Multivariable linear regression models, including age and sex as covariates, were used to assess differences between children with CAE and controls. Additionally, potential relations between the core network and cognitive performance was investigated.A lower assortativity (i.e. less efficiently organized core network organization) was found for children with CAE compared to controls. Moreover, better cognitive performance was found to relate to stronger assortative mixing pattern (i.e. more efficient core network structure). Rich-club coefficients did not differ between groups, nor relate to cognitions.The core network organization of the SCN in children with CAE tend to be less efficient organized compared to controls, and relates to cognitive performance, and therefore this study provides novel insights into the SCN organization in relation to CAE and cognition.
