ABSTRACT
Objectives To investigate the alterations of homotopic connectivity in unilateral temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). Methods Resting-state functional MR imaging data were acquired from patients with unilateral temporal lobe epi?lepsy (n=43) [21 left temporal lobe epilepsy(LTLE) and 22 right temporal lobe epilepsy(RTLE)] and normal controls (NC) (n=20). The functional connectivity between any pair of symmetric interhemispheric voxels (i.e., functional homotopy) was measured by voxel-mirrored homotopic connectivity (VMHC). Results Compared with NC group, the LTLE patients showed decreased functional connectivity in the bilateral supplementary motor areas(t=-3.35), middle temporal gyri (t=-3.50), medial frontal gyri(t=-3.20)and inferior parietal lobules(t=-3.66), and increased interhemispheric func?tional connectivity in the bilateral angular gyri(t= 3.03), occipital gyri(t= 4.25) and superior parietal gyri(t= 3.62). Compared with control subjects, RTLE patients exhibited decreased functional connectivity in the bilateral middle tempo?ral gyri(t=-4.26), precentral gyri(t=-3.29), as well as increased interhemispheric functional connectivity between bi?lateral inferior occipital gyri(t=3.22),parahippocampa gyri(t=3.32), cerebellum(t=3.50). Conclusions There are al?terations of the functional synchronization and coordination in the two hemispheres in unilateral TLE patients.