Abstract
Background The decision to treat children with benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (BECTS) using anti-seizure medications (ASM) is controversial. Our goal is to compare the effect of ASM treatment on the alteration of EEG functional connectivity and power across 4 frequency bands in BECTS children. Methods BECTS children with two-year follow-up were retrospectively divided into ASM versus non-ASM groups. The network properties of the EEGs as based on network-based statistic and graph theory were evaluated by following indices: global efficiency, clustering coefficient, betweenness centrality, and nodal strength in 4 frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, and beta). EEG power including absolute power (AP) and relative power (RP) was analyzed in 4 frequency bands. Results In BECTS children with ASM treatment, there was no significant change in EEG connectivity across all bands before and after 2 years of ASM. In BECTS children without ASM treatment, there was a significant increase of global efficiency, clustering coefficient and nodal strength, but not the betweenness centrality in the delta band after two years of follow-up. A decrease in AP in the delta and theta bands, and a decrease in RP in the theta band were found in the ASM group after two years of treatment. Conclusions Our results suggest that ASM may play a role in modulating the development of increasing overall brain connectivity and in downregulating overt synaptic activity, but not intrinsic focal connectivity, in the early years of BECTS. The changes in the EEG power indicate that ASM significantly normalized slow-wave band power.
Original language | English |
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Journal | Pediatric Neurology |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Accepted/In press - Mar 22 2024 |
Keywords
- benign epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes
- anti-seizure medication
- graph theory
- EEG functional connectivity
- power analysis
- children