Disrupted topological organization of structural brain networks in childhood absence epilepsy.

ABSTRACT: Childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) is the most common paediatric epilepsy syndrome and is characterized by frequent and transient impairment of consciousness. In this study, we explored structural brain network alterations in CAE and their association with clinical characteristics. A whole-brain structural network was constructed for each participant based on diffusion-weighted MRI and probabilistic tractography. The topological metrics were then evaluated. For the first time, we uncovered modular topology in CAE patients that was similar to healthy controls. However, the strength, efficiency and small-world properties of the structural network in CAE were seriously damaged. At the whole brain level, decreased strength, global efficiency, local efficiency, clustering coefficient, normalized

SUBMITTER: Qiu W 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC5607318 | biostudies-literature | 2017 Sep

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature