Impact of Brain Functional Network Properties on Intelligence in Children and Adolescents with Focal Epilepsy: A Resting-state MRI Study.

Rationale And Objective: Epilepsy is a common pediatric disease that often leads to cognitive and intellectual impairments. Here, we explore the reorganized functional networks in children and adolescents with focal epilepsy (CAFE) and analyze the relationship between network reorganization and intellectual deficits to reveal the underlying link between them.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-four CAFE (6-16 years old; right-handed) and 42 well-matched healthy controls were recruited. Subjects underwent resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging, and functional networks were analyzed by graph analysis. Intelligence testing (Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children-Chinese revision) included measures for verbal IQ (VIQ), performance IQ, and full-scale IQ.

Results: (1) In the CAFE compared with the healthy controls, (a) the local efficiency, clustering coefficient and standardized clustering coefficient were significantly decreased (p < 0.05); (b) the degree centrality and nodal efficiency of the left precentral gyrus (LPG) were significantly increased (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction), and the nodal shortest path length was significantly decreased (p < 0.05, Bonferroni correction); and (c) functional connectivity of the LPG with the bilateral inferior frontal ventral gyrus, right lateral superior occipital gyrus, left middle occipital gyrus, bilateral superior parietal lobule, right anterior prefrontal cortex, and bilateral cerebellum was enhanced (p < 0.05,GRF correction), while functional connectivity with the bilateral superior temporal gyrus was decreased (p < 0.05, GRF correction). (2) The nodal shortest path length of the LPG in CAFE was associated with full-scale IQ, performance IQ, and VIQ, and local efficiency was associated with VIQ.

Conclusion: Our results showed that the middle LPG in CAFE undergoes network reorganization that positively influences intelligence. Differences in local efficiency of functional networks in children and early adolescents have a significant effect on intelligence.