Neurovascular coupling changes in patients with magnetic resonance imaging negative focal epilepsy

Honghao Xu; Kefan Chen; Haitao Zhu; Jinxin Bu; Lu Yang; Fangqing Chen; Haiyan Ma; Xuefeng Qu; Rui Zhang; Hongyi Liu

doi:10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.109035

Neurovascular coupling changes in patients with magnetic resonance imaging negative focal epilepsy

Epilepsy Behav. 2023 Jan:138:109035. doi: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.109035. Epub 2022 Dec 17.

Authors

Honghao Xu¹, Kefan Chen¹, Haitao Zhu¹, Jinxin Bu¹, Lu Yang¹, Fangqing Chen¹, Haiyan Ma¹, Xuefeng Qu¹, Rui Zhang², Hongyi Liu³

Affiliations

¹ Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China.
² Department of Functional Neurosurgery, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: neurosurgeonzr@njmu.edu.cn.
³ Department of Neurosurgery, Affiliated Nanjing Brain Hospital of Nanjing Medical University, 264 Guangzhou Road, Nanjing 210029, Jiangsu, China. Electronic address: hyliu18@126.com.

PMID: 36535109
DOI: 10.1016/j.yebeh.2022.109035

Abstract

Brain neuron activity is closely related to cerebral blood flow (CBF) changes. Alterations in the regional homogeneity (ReHo) and CBF occur in patients with magnetic resonance imaging negative focal epilepsy (FEP-MRI^-). However, the coupling alterations of ReHo and CBF in FEP-MRI^- remain unclear. The study aims to explore neurovascular coupling alterations and their clinical implication in FEP-MRI^-. We collected resting-state magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) data from 31 healthy controls (HCs) and 48 patients with FEP-MRI^-,including three-dimensional (3D) T1-weighted imaging, 3D arterial spin labeling (ASL) imaging,and resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI). The CBF and ReHo values were calculated from the ASL and rs-fMRI data, respectively. The CBF/ReHo ratio per voxel and whole-brain CBF-ReHo coupling were compared between the two groups. Correlation analysis involved the CBF/ReHo ratio and clinical indicators in FEP-MRI^-. Patients with FEP-MRI^- showed significantly increased cross-subject CBF-ReHo and global cross-voxel CBF-ReHo coupling. The CBF/ReHo ratio was higher in the bilateral orbitofrontal gyrus, right parietal lobe, and right middle frontal gyrus of patients with FEP-MRI^-. Nevertheless, this ratio was lower in the bilateral supplementary motor areas, the left middle and posterior cingulate gyrus, and the right central sulcus cover. The CBF/ReHo ratio was markedly correlated with cognitive function, memory, intelligence, and epilepsy duration in the above abnormal brain regions. CBF/ReHo ratio may be useful as an indicator of neuropathological mechanisms. These results support the hypothesis that CBF/ReHo ratio relates to the neuropathological mechanisms of FEP-MRI^-. Furthermore, it offers new perspectives for studying the mechanisms of MRI-negative epilepsy.

Keywords: Cerebral blood flow; Focal epilepsy; Magnetic resonance imaging negative; Neurovascular coupling; Regional homogeneity.

Publication types

Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

Brain
Brain Mapping / methods
Epilepsies, Partial*
Humans
Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
Neurovascular Coupling*
Spin Labels

Substances

Spin Labels