THE IMPLICATIONS OF MESIAL TEMPORAL LOBE EPILEPSY ON THE DEFAULT MODE NETWORK AND COGNITION: FUNCTIONAL AND NEUROPSYCHOLOGICAL CORRELATIONS

• Grant number: 24/14038-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: October 01, 2024
• End date: September 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Fernando Cendes
• Grantee: Pedro Santalucia
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The mesial temporal lobe exhibits a high predisposition to epileptogenesis, rendering mesial temporal lobe epilepsy (MTLE) one of the most common forms of focal epilepsy in adults. The impairment caused by this form of epilepsy encompasses extensive functional and structural alterations, which correlate with findings of hippocampal sclerosis and pharmacoresistance. To understand the extent of functional impairment in these patients, we will investigate deactivation and disruption patterns in the cognitive performance network, the Default Mode Network (DMN), using the Seed method. Functional variation will be compared with the patient's cognitive function which will be assessed via the results of the following neuropsychological tests: the Boston Naming Test, Rey-Osterrieth Complex Figure Test, Stroop Test, Logical Memory Test I and II and Wechsler Intelligence Test. The mentioned tests provide data and information on general memory, verbal memory, delayed recall, verbal fluency, and the individual's language abilities.