Algebraic relationship between the structural network's Laplacian and functional network's adjacency matrix is preserved in temporal lobe epilepsy subjects

Abstract

The relationship between anatomic and resting state functional connectivity of large-scale brain networks is a major focus of current research. In previous work, we introduced a model based on eigen decomposition of the Laplacian which predicts the functional network from the structural network in healthy brains. In this work, we apply the eigen decomposition model to two types of epilepsy; temporal lobe epilepsy associated with mesial temporal sclerosis, and MRI-normal temporal lobe epilepsy. Our findings show that the eigen relationship between function and structure holds for patients with temporal lobe epilepsy as well as normal individuals. These results suggest that the brain under TLE conditions reconfigures and rewires the fine-scale connectivity (a process which the model parameters are putatively sensitive to), in order to achieve the necessary structure-function relationship.

Keywords: Brain networks; Eigen decomposition; Epilepsy; Functional network; Graph theory; Laplacian; Structural network.