Parieto-premotor functional connectivity changes during parietal lobe seizures are associated with motor semiology

Objectives: Parietal lobe seizures (PLS) are characterized by multiple clinical manifestations including motor signs. The mechanisms underlying the occurrence of motor signs are poorly understood. The main objective of this work was to estimate the functional coupling of brain regions associated with this clinical presentation. Methods: We retrospectively selected patients affected by drug-resistant epilepsy who underwent Stereoelectroencephalography (SEEG) for pre-surgical evaluation and in whom the seizure onset zone (SOZ) was located in the parietal cortex. The SOZ was defined visually and quantitatively by the epileptogenicity index (El) method. Two groups of seizures were defined according to the presence (motor seizures) or the absence (non-motor seizures) of motor signs. Functional connectivity (FC) estimation was based on pairwise nonlinear regression analysis (h(2) coefficient). To study FC changes between parietal, frontal and temporal regions, for each patient, z-score values of 16 cortico-cortical interactions were obtained comparing h(2) coefficients of pre-ictal, seizure onset and seizure propagation periods. Results: We included 22 patients, 13 with motor seizures and 9 with non-motor seizures. Resective surgery was performed in 14 patients, 8 patients had a positive surgical outcome (Engel's class I and II). During seizure onset period, a decrease of FC was observed and was significantly more important (in comparison with background period) in motor seizures. This was particularly observed between parietal operculum/ post-central gyrus (OP/PoCg) and mesial temporal areas. During seizure propagation, a FC increase was significantly more important (in comparison with seizure onset) in motor seizures, in particular between lateral pre-motor (pmL) area and precuneus, pmL and superior parietal lobule (SPL) and between inferior parietal lobule (IPL) and supplementary motor area (SMA). Conclusions: Our study shows that motor semiology in PLS is accompanied by an increase of FC between parietal and premotor cortices, significantly different than what is observed in PLS without motor semiology. Significance: Our results indicate that preferential routes of coupling between parietal and premotor cortices are responsible for the prominent motor presentation during PLS. (C) 2021 International Federation of Clinical Neurophysiology. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

This study found significant differences in functional connectivity between motor and non-motor seizures in parietal lobe epilepsy, particularly in the connection strength between parietal and premotor cortices. Surgical treatment had a positive impact on patient outcomes.