The Journal of Practical Medicine ›› 2025, Vol. 41 ›› Issue (2): 250-257.doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1006-5725.2025.02.015

• Drugs and Clinic Practice • Previous Articles    

Changes in complex networks of brain functions associated with sodium channel blocker drug treatment in temporal lobe epilepsy

Cuimi LUO,Zirong CHEN,Dongying HUANG,Jin′ou. ZHENG()   

  1. Department of Neurology,the First Affiliated Hospital of Guangxi Medical University,Nanning 530021,Guangxi,China
  • Received:2024-08-26 Online:2025-01-25 Published:2025-01-26
  • Contact: Jin′ou. ZHENG E-mail:jinouzheng@163.com

Abstract:

Objective To investigate the changes in the complex network of brain functions associated with sodium channel blocker (SCB) treatment and the neural mechanisms underlying the effects on executive control functions. Methods Twenty-one patients with temporal lobe epilepsy taking SCB (TLE-SCB) and 12 patients with temporal lobe epilepsy not taking SCB (TLE-N) were enrolled in the study along with 18 healthy controls (HC). Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rsfMRI) and attentional network testing (ANT) were completed, and graph theoretic methods were applied to study the changes in the complex networks of brain function in the three groups of subjects, and to investigate the relationship between changes in brain networks and executive function. Results The TLE-SCB and TLE-N groups showed executive function impairment compared to the HC group. Analysis of brain network topological properties showed that multiple node median centrality was reduced in the TLE-SCB group compared to the TLE-N group (all Bonferroni corrected, P < 0.017); right amygdala node clustering coefficient, and local efficiency of the left suboccipital gyrus were reduced (t = -2.953, P = 0.006; t = -2.597, P = 0.0142). The TLE-SCB compared to the HC group had decreased multiple node median centrality (all Bonferroni corrected, P < 0.017); increased node clustering coefficients in the left orbital middle frontal gyrus (t = 2.861, P = 0.007); and decreased localized efficiency in the left inferotemporal gyrus (t = -2.870, P = 0.007). The TLE-N group compared to the HC group had decreased right paracentral lobule mediator centrality, local efficiency increased (t = 2.644, P = 0.013; t = 3.464, P = 0.002); right amygdala node clustering coefficient increased (t = 2.884, P = 0.007). Correlation analysis showed that decreased centrality of left suboccipital gyrus mediators was negatively correlated with executive efficiency in the TLE-SCB group (P = 0.045, r = -0.441). Conclusion Patients using SCB medication showed impairment of brain functional network topological properties, with the left suboccipital gyrus as an important node; altered brain functional network topological properties may underlie the network of cognitive impairment in SCB.

Key words: temporal lobe epilepsy, sodium channel blocker, graph theory, complex network, executive control function

CLC Number: