Temitayo Oyefunmike Oyegbile1, John W VanMeter2, Gholam Motamedi2, Nassim Zecavati2, Cesar Santos2, Christabel Lee Earn Chun2, William D Gaillard3, Bruce Hermann4. 1. Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States. Electronic address: too3@georgetown.edu. 2. Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States. 3. Georgetown University Medical Center, Washington DC, United States; Children's National Medical Center, Washington DC, United States. 4. University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Public Health, Madison, WI, United States.
Abstract
OBJECTIVES: Children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) exhibit executive dysfunction on traditional neuropsychological tests. However, there is limited evidence of neural network alterations associated with this clinical executive dysfunction. The objective of this study was to characterize working memory deficits in children with TLE via activation of the executive control network on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and determine the relationships to fMRI behavioral findings and traditional neuropsychological tests. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on 17 children with TLE and 18 healthy control participants (age 8-16 years) while they performed the N-back task in order to assess activation of the executive control network. N-back accuracy, N-back reaction time, and traditional neuropsychological tests (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System [D-KEFS] color-word interference and card-sort test) were also assessed. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS: Children with TLE exhibited executive dysfunction on D-KEFS testing, reduced N-back accuracy, and increased N-back reaction time compared with healthy controls; D-KEFS and N-back behavioral findings were significantly correlated. Children with TLE also exhibited significant reduction in activation of the frontal lobe within the executive control network compared to healthy controls. These alterations were significantly correlated with N-back behavioral findings and D-KEFS testing. CONCLUSIONS: Children with TLE exhibit executive dysfunction, which correlates with executive control network alterations. This lends validity to the theory that the executive control network contributes to working memory function. The findings also indicate that children with TLE have network alterations in nontemporal brain regions.
OBJECTIVES:Children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) exhibit executive dysfunction on traditional neuropsychological tests. However, there is limited evidence of neural network alterations associated with this clinical executive dysfunction. The objective of this study was to characterize working memory deficits in children with TLE via activation of the executive control network on functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and determine the relationships to fMRI behavioral findings and traditional neuropsychological tests. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Functional magnetic resonance imaging was conducted on 17 children with TLE and 18 healthy control participants (age 8-16 years) while they performed the N-back task in order to assess activation of the executive control network. N-back accuracy, N-back reaction time, and traditional neuropsychological tests (Delis-Kaplan Executive Function System [D-KEFS] color-word interference and card-sort test) were also assessed. PRINCIPAL OBSERVATIONS: Children with TLE exhibited executive dysfunction on D-KEFS testing, reduced N-back accuracy, and increased N-back reaction time compared with healthy controls; D-KEFS and N-back behavioral findings were significantly correlated. Children with TLE also exhibited significant reduction in activation of the frontal lobe within the executive control network compared to healthy controls. These alterations were significantly correlated with N-back behavioral findings and D-KEFS testing. CONCLUSIONS:Children with TLE exhibit executive dysfunction, which correlates with executive control network alterations. This lends validity to the theory that the executive control network contributes to working memory function. The findings also indicate that children with TLE have network alterations in nontemporal brain regions.
Authors: Temitayo O Oyegbile; John W VanMeter; Gholam K Motamedi; William L Bell; William D Gaillard; Bruce P Hermann Journal: Epilepsy Behav Date: 2019-03-22 Impact factor: 2.937
Authors: Bruce P Hermann; Aaron F Struck; Robyn M Busch; Anny Reyes; Erik Kaestner; Carrie R McDonald Journal: Nat Rev Neurol Date: 2021-09-22 Impact factor: 44.711