Brain Functional Network Topology and Seed-based Connectivity Alterations in Idiopathic Generalized Epilepsy Patients: An fMRI Study

Unlike localized epilepsy, idiopathic generalized epilepsy (IGE) usually affects a wider range of parts of the brain making it less specific. Therefore, it becomes meaningful to investigate alterations among brain connectivity of IGE patients. Since structural brain abnormalities in patients with IGE may be uncertain, the aim of this study will be identifying functional alterations in IGE patients through resting state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI). Our rs-fMRI study of IGE patients and healthy controls were performed based on graph theoretical and seed-based connectivity aspects. Significant between-group differences were found in several regions which corresponds to previous studies and might provide further evidence indicating alterations in IGE patients. Moreover, the findings revealed in our further analyses of seed-based functional connectivity results considering subtypes of IGE accentuates the difference between classifications of IGE patients. Accordingly, findings in our study indicate more specific regions related to the underlying pathophysiological abnormalities of IGE and may also contribute to providing additional explanations for the classification of IGE subtypes.