Clinical Study

Altered Functional Connectivity within and between Brain Modules in Absence Epilepsy: A Resting-State Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging Study

Figure 4

The pattern of within/between module divergence for individual nodes. (a) and (b) The orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus showed an increased within-module connection that is represented as an increase in the functional connections to other DMN nodes and a decreased between-module connection that is represented as a decrease in the functional connections to the limbic system in AE patients. (c) The pattern of divergence for the orbital part of the superior frontal gyrus indicates that the value of connections to other DMN nodes is already positive in controls but becomes even more positive in AE patients, while the value of connections to the limbic system is negative in controls and becomes even more negative in AE patients. This divergence showed a significant interaction of within/between module connections and subject groups ( ). (d) and (e) The right amygdala showed an increased value of connections to the somatosensory system and a decreased value of connections to the DMN in AE patients. (f) The pattern of divergence revealed that the value of connections to the somatosensory system is almost zero in controls and increases in AE patients, while the value of connections to the DMN is positive in controls but decreased to a negative value in AE patients ( ). (g) and (h) The left putamen showed an increased value of connections to the somatosensory system and a decreased value of connections to the DMN in AE patients. (i) The pattern of divergence showed that the number of connections to the somatosensory system is positive in controls but became even more positive in AE patients, while the value of connections to the DMN is negative in controls and became even more negative in AE patients ( ); this pattern is identical to the previously observed pattern in the superior frontal node. ORBsup.R, superior frontal gyrus (right orbital); Amygdala.R, amygdala (right); Putamen.L, putamen (left).
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