Linking time and space in those with epilepsy to investigate seizure spread

Poster Session C - Sunday, April 14, 2024, 5:00 – 7:00 pm EDT, Sheraton Hall ABC

Faranak Heidari^1,2,4, Ivan Skelin^2,4, Artur Vetkas^3,4, Taufik Valiante^1,2,3,4; ¹University of Toronto, ²Krembil Brain Research Institute, University Health Network, ³Division of Neurosurgery, Toronto Western Hospital, ⁴CRANIA Center for Advancing Neurotechnological Innovation to Application

In epilepsy, a neurological disorder marked by recurrent seizures, the brain's spatiotemporal signal patterns are disrupted. Our research seeks to enhance understanding of the mechanisms underlying seizures by examining the spatial patterns of intracranial electrophysiological signals, particularly preceding and during seizures. This study is pivotal in bridging the gap in our knowledge regarding the structure-function connection in the brain, a relationship that remains poorly understood, especially in the context of epilepsy. Our multimodal approach combines brain diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) with stereo EEG (sEEG) to explore the intricate relationship between the brain's structural architecture and neural activity. We utilize connectome harmonics, calculated as the eigen vectors of the brain graph Laplacian. This enables us to break down the time-series of brain activity into a dynamically weighted composition of these harmonics derived from white matter tracts, offering a nuanced view of neural processes. Building on this framework, our research maps the dynamic changes in brain activity during epileptic events. By closely examining how the spectrum of the connectome harmonics shift before, during, and after seizures, we can gain deeper insights into the transient brain states associated with epilepsy. This innovative use of connectome harmonics spectrum analysis in epilepsy research brings a fresh perspective to the field. It holds the potential for improving our understanding of seizure mechanisms and potentially leading to more effective, targeted interventions. The findings from this study are expected to contribute to enhancing diagnostic accuracy and tailoring personalized treatment strategies for individuals living with epilepsy.

Topic Area: METHODS: Neuroimaging