Activation of Functional Brain Networks in Children With Psychogenic Non-epileptic Seizures, 2020, Kozlowska et al

[Andy]

Objectives: Psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES) have been hypothesized to emerge in the context of neural networks instability. To explore this hypothesis in children, we applied a graph theory approach to examine connectivity in neural networks in the resting-state EEG in 35 children with PNES, 31 children with other functional neurological symptoms (but no PNES), and 75 healthy controls.

Methods: The networks were extracted from Laplacian-transformed time series by a coherence connectivity estimation method.

Results: Children with PNES (vs. controls) showed widespread changes in network metrics: increased global efficiency (gamma and beta bands), increased local efficiency (gamma band), and increased modularity (gamma and alpha bands). Compared to controls, they also had higher levels of autonomic arousal (e.g., lower heart variability); more anxiety, depression, and stress on the Depression Anxiety and Stress Scales; and more adverse childhood experiences on the Early Life Stress Questionnaire. Increases in network metrics correlated with arousal. Children with other functional neurological symptoms (but no PNES) showed scattered and less pronounced changes in network metrics.

Conclusion: The results indicate that children with PNES present with increased activation of neural networks coupled with increased physiological arousal. While this shift in functional organization may confer a short-term adaptive advantage—one that facilitates neural communication and the child’s capacity to respond self-protectively in the face of stressful life events—it may also have a significant biological cost. It may predispose the child’s neural networks to periods of instability—presenting clinically as PNES—when the neural networks are faced with perturbations in energy flow or with additional demands.

Open access, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fnhum.2020.00339/full

 

[Amw66]

Lower HRV has been postulated as a " heads up" for illness generally ( viz the wearables guru who was alerted to Lyme disease during a flight when HRV was altered enabling this to be caught early and treated) .If there are noted changes in network metrics, and autonomic status then perhaps there is an actual physical biomedical process underway that needs a bit of detective work? Could this be tail wagging dog again?

If anyone has seen an ACES scale they are an issue in themselves - all scales being subjective and couched in particular language have potential issues
https://www.coyneoftherealm.com/201...-causing-physical-and-mental-health-problems/

 

[Mithriel]

I just can't believe it, even after all the things I have come across

"35 children with PNES, 31 children with other functional neurological symptoms (but no PNES), and 75 healthy controls."

Where are the controls with epilepsy? They obviously could not take the chance they would disprove their theory could they.