• Dong Ah Lee, Ho-Joon Lee, Hyung Chan Kim, and Kang Min Park.
• Department of Neurology and Radiology, Haeundae Paik Hospital, Inje University College of Medicine, Busan, Republic of Korea.
• J Neuroimaging. 2021 Sep 1; 31 (5): 973-980.

Background And PurposeThe aim of this study was to investigate the differences in structural connectivity based on diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and functional connectivity based on arterial spin labeling (ASL) MRI between temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) patients with and without hippocampal sclerosis (HS).MethodsWe enrolled 50 patients with TLE, including 25 patients with HS and 25 patients without HS, who underwent brain MRI, including DTI and ASL. We calculated the network parameters of structural connectivity based on DTI and functional connectivity based on ASL using a graph theoretical analysis. The parameters included global network measures (radius, diameter, characteristic path length, global efficiency, local efficiency, mean clustering coefficient, transitivity, assortative coefficient, and small-worldness index) and a local network measure (betweenness centrality).ResultsThe global and local network measures of structural connectivity were not different between TLE patients with and without HS. However, significant differences in functional connectivity existed between the two groups. The radius and diameter of the global network measures in the TLE patients with HS were significantly increased compared with those without HS (4.140 vs. 3.140, p = 0.045; 6.812 vs. 5.132, p = 0.049; respectively). No differences were detected between other global network measures of functional connectivity and local network measure.ConclusionsSignificant differences in global network measures of functional connectivity based on ASL existed between TLE patients with and without HS. These findings suggest that TLE patients with HS exhibit a more disconnected functional brain network than those without HS.© 2021 American Society of Neuroimaging.

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