Full Brain Functional Connectivity of the Hippocampus in Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Compared to Controls

Victoria L. Morgan¹, Baxter P. Rogers¹, John C. Gore¹, Bassel Abou-Khalil²

Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is typically associated with seizures generated from the anterior hippocampus. In this study we compared the functional connectivity of the left hippocampus to the rest of the brain between left TLE patients and controls, using resting-state correlations of BOLD signals. Patients had a significant decrease in connectivity between the left hippocampus and right and left thalamus, as compared to controls. Patients had only slightly increased connectivity between the left hippocampus and the right temporal tip. These findings may provide insight into the network alterations which may be related to structural changes and cognitive impairment in TLE.