Résumé
Objective To investigate the possible electroencephalograph network connectivity mech-anism of working memory disorder in patients with frontal lobe epilepsy ( FLE). Methods Seventeen adult FLE patients were enrolled as the case group and 22 normal adults were selected as the control group. The behavioral data and 34-channel electroencephalographs were recorded in the working memory behavioral par-adigm. The directed transfer function was used to construct the causal connectivity brain network of theta band of working memory delay period. Two-sample t-test or tˊ-test was used to analyze the differences in be-havioral and frontal causal connectivity between the two groups. Results (1) Compared with control group, working memory behavioral data of FLE group showed significantly lower correct rate ((92. 778±4. 399)%, (96. 258±2. 470)%,tˊ=-2. 925,P<0. 01),and significantly longer reaction time ((978. 586± 65. 161) ms,(798. 671±196. 207)ms,tˊ=4. 023,P<0. 001). (2) Compared with control group,causal connectivity of FLE group showed significantly reduced whole brain ( tˊ=-6. 008, P<0. 001), Fz channel ( tˊ=-7. 703,P<0. 001),frontal region (tˊ=-14. 667,P<0. 001),frontal-temporal interval ( t=-14. 467,P<0. 001),and frontal-central interval (t=-3. 501,P<0. 001). The causal connectivity of frontal-occipital in-terval had no significant difference( t=1. 056,P=0. 281). Conclusions Working memory disorders were found in FLE patients. The abnormal causal connectivity of frontal brain network in theta band may be one of its potential neurophysiological mechanisms.