基于弥散张量成像的儿童失神癫痫认知控制网络的结构连接研究

已有研究表明儿童失神癫痫患者的认知控制网络（CCN）中功能连接发生了改变。为了探索这些改变相应的结构基础，采用基于弥散张量成像（DTI）的纤维束追踪技术，对9名儿童失神癫痫患者和12名正常对照，分别构建了每个人CCN网络的结构连接，然后对两组间的纤维束连接的条数、长度、连接强度、平均部分各向异性值（FA）和平均弥散度（MD）等参数使用双样本T检验进行了统计比较。结果发现患者组CCN网络中主要纤维束上平均FA值显著降低，MD值显著增加（P_s<0.05，Bonferroni 校正），并且左侧前额叶皮层到丘脑的纤维束上平均FA值与病程呈显著的负相关关系（P=0.011）。本研究结果为儿童失神癫痫患者CCN网络的功能连接异常提供了相应的结构基础，这些白质纤维异常的连接可能是导致患者认知控制功能异常的重要原因之一。

search of Structural Connectivity of Cognitive Control Network in Childhood Absence Epilepsy Based on Diffusion Tensor Imaging

It was reported that functional connectivity in cognitive control network (CCN) was altered  in patients with childhood absence epilepsy. In order to explore the structural connectivity in CCN, nine patients with childhood absence epilepsy and 12 healthy controls were recruited. The fiber bundles among regions of CCN were tracked by diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) in each subject. The parameters (including count, length, weight, mean of fractional anisotropic (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD)) of the each fiber bundle were assessed between the two groups using 2-sample T test. The significantly decreased FA and increased MD in main fiber bundles were detected in the patient group (P_s<0.05, Bonferroni corrected). Furthermore, the mean FA value in the fiber bundles between left prefrontal cortex and thalamus was negatively related to the epilepsy duration (P=0.011). These findings might provide potential structural evidence for the altered functional connectivity in CCN in absence epilepsy. The results implied that the abnormalities of structural connections might be one of the important factors that result in cognitive control dysfunction in the patients with childhood absence epilepsy.