Journal article
Thalamocortical functional connectivity in Lennox–Gastaut syndrome is abnormally enhanced in executive-control and default-mode networks
AEL Warren, DF Abbott, GD Jackson, JS Archer
Epilepsia | WILEY | Published : 2017
DOI: 10.1111/epi.13932
Abstract
Objective: To identify abnormal thalamocortical circuits in the severe epilepsy of Lennox–Gastaut syndrome (LGS) that may explain the shared electroclinical phenotype and provide potential treatment targets. Methods: Twenty patients with a diagnosis of LGS (mean age = 28.5 years) and 26 healthy controls (mean age = 27.6 years) were compared using task-free functional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The thalamus was parcellated according to functional connectivity with 10 cortical networks derived using group-level independent component analysis. For each cortical network, we assessed between-group differences in thalamic functional connectivity strength using nonparametric permutation-base..
View full abstractGrants
Awarded by LGS Foundation
Funding Acknowledgements
The authors would like to thank the patients and their families for participating in this research; Shawna Farquharson and the Florey radiography team for MRI scanning; Neelan Pillay for contributions to patient recruitment; and Professor Sam Berkovic for manuscript advice. This study was supported by the National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, project grant 628725 (John S. Archer, David F. Abbott), and practitioner fellowship 1060312 (Graeme D. Jackson). Aaron E. L. Warren is supported by an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship and fellowship funding from the Lennox-Gastaut Syndrome Foundation (LGS Foundation). David F. Abbott is supported by fellowship funding from the National Imaging Facility. We acknowledge the facilities and the scientific and technical assistance of the National Imaging Facility at the Florey node, and the support of the Victorian Government through the Operational Infrastructure Support Grant.