1(st) Department of Clinical Neurology, AHEPA University Hospital, Medical School, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece; Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece.
Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki 54124, Greece.
Clin Neurophysiol. 2022 Jan;133:83-93. doi: 10.1016/j.clinph.2021.10.011. Epub 2021 Nov 15.
In epilepsy patients, Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS) may result in the induction and modulation of epileptiform discharges (EDs). We hereby investigate the modulatory effects of TMS on brain connectivity in Genetic Generalized Epilepsy (GGE) and explore their potential as a diagnostic biomarker in GGE.
Patients with GGE (n=18) and healthy controls (n=11) were investigated with a paired-pulse TMS-EEG protocol. The brain network was studied at local and at global levels using Coherence as an EEG connectivity measure. Comparison of patients vs controls was performed in a time-resolved manner by analyzing comparatively pre- vs post-TMS brain networks.
There was statistically significant TMS-induced modulation of connectivity at specific frequency bands within groups and difference in TMS-induced modulation between the two groups. The most significant difference between patients and controls related to connectivity modulation in the γ band at 1-3 sec post-TMS (p=0.004).
TMS modulates the healthy and epileptic brain connectivity in different ways. Our results indicate that TMS-EEG connectivity analysis can be a basis for a diagnostic biomarker of GGE.
The analysis identifies specific time periods and frequency bands of interest of TMS-induced connectivity modulation and elucidates the effect of TMS on the healthy and epileptic brain connectivity.
经颅磁刺激（TMS）可能会在癫痫患者中引发癫痫样放电（EDs）并对其进行调制。我们在此研究 TMS 对遗传性全面性癫痫（GGE）脑连接的调制作用，并探索其作为 GGE 诊断生物标志物的潜力。
使用成对脉冲 TMS-EEG 方案对 GGE 患者（n=18）和健康对照者（n=11）进行了研究。使用相干性作为 EEG 连接度测量指标，在局部和全局水平上研究脑网络。通过比较分析比较 TMS 前后的脑网络，以时间分辨的方式对患者与对照组进行比较。
在组内特定频带内，TMS 诱导的连接度调制具有统计学意义，并且两组之间 TMS 诱导的调制存在差异。患者和对照组之间的最大差异与 TMS 后 1-3 秒γ频段的连接度调制有关（p=0.004）。
TMS 以不同的方式调制健康和癫痫脑的连接度。我们的结果表明，TMS-EEG 连接度分析可以作为 GGE 诊断生物标志物的基础。
该分析确定了 TMS 诱导的连接度调制的特定时间期和感兴趣频带，并阐明了 TMS 对健康和癫痫脑连接度的影响。
