Alteration of functional connectivity and network properties after stereo-electroencephalography guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation

TL;DR

This study investigates how radiofrequency thermocoagulation affects brain connectivity and network properties in epilepsy patients.

Contribution

The study reveals specific changes in functional connectivity and network properties in the alpha band following RF-TC, linking them to clinical outcomes.

Findings

Functional connectivity within and between the epileptogenic zone decreased in the alpha band after RF-TC.

Graph theory properties in the alpha band were significantly altered following the procedure.

Changes in connectivity and network properties correlated with clinical response to RF-TC.

Abstract

Stereo-electroencephalography guided radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC) aims at changing epileptogenic networks to achieve therapeutic purpose. However, the functional connectivity mechanism of RF-TC remains unknown. We sought to determine the effects of RF-TC on functional connectivity and the relationship between these variations and the clinical outcome.

For this retrospective cohort study, we analyzed resting-state stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) data segments to assess functional connectivity across sampling areas in seventeen epilepsy patients. We analyzed the variance of functional connectivity and graph theory indicators and assessed the relationship between variation and clinical response to RF-TC.

We found decreased functional connectivity both within and between epileptogenic zone in alpha band (p < 0.05) after RF-TC. We also discovered the alteration of most graph theory properties in the alpha band. Moreover, within connectivity and betweenness were significantly decreased in alpha band in the non-improvement group (p < 0.05), while clustering coefficient showed opposite change in the improvement group (p < 0.05). Eventually, compared to improvement group, we discovered a greater decrease of within connectivity of alpha band in the epileptogenic zone (p < 0.01).

The research on network changes after radiofrequency thermocoagulation (RF-TC) is still an evolving field. Our research results indicate that significant changes occurred in functional connectivity and network characteristics in specific frequency bands and brain regions after RF-TC. Notably, the reduction in the internal connectivity within the alpha frequency band of the epileptic lesion not only provides early electrophysiological feedback for RF-TC, but also serves as a potential indicator for evaluating clinical response and prognosis.

The online version contains supplementary material available at 10.1186/s41016-026-00428-8.

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