Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40211071›Full record

ArticleCommunications medicine2025

Respiratory modulations of cortical excitability and interictal spike timing in focal epilepsy: a case report.

Daniel S Kluger, Tim Erdbrügger, Christina Stier, Malte B Höltershinken, Omid Abbasi, Martina Saltafossi, Kanjana Unnwongse, Tim Wehner, Jörg Wellmer, Joachim Gross and 1 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Communications medicine, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 6 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
6citing papers in PubMed, 1 pooled it
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

6 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it.

  1. Pooled it
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  3. Review
  4. Review
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Daniel S KlugerInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany. daniel.kluger@uni-muenster.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-0691-794X
Tim ErdbrüggerInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Christina StierInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-5707-4885
Malte B HöltershinkenInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Omid AbbasiInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Martina SaltafossiInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Kanjana UnnwongseRuhr-Epileptology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Tim WehnerRuhr-Epileptology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Jörg WellmerRuhr-Epileptology, Department of Neurology, University Hospital Knappschaftskrankenhaus, Ruhr-University Bochum, Bochum, Germany.
Joachim GrossInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.
Carsten H WoltersInstitute for Biomagnetism and Biosignal Analysis, University of Münster, Münster, Germany.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0001-6233-424X

Funding

Bundesministerium für Gesundheit (Federal Ministry of Health, Germany) ZMI1-2521FSB006Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) GR 2024/11-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) GR 2024/12-1Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (German Research Foundation) KL 3580/1-1
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBrain activity in focal epilepsy is marked by a pronounced excitation-inhibition (E:I) imbalance and interictal epileptiform discharges (IEDs) observed in periods between recurrent seizures. As a marker of E:I balance, aperiodic neural activity and its underlying 1/f characteristic reflect the dynamic interplay of excitatory and inhibitory currents. Recent studies have independently assessed 1/f changes both in epilepsy and in the context of body-brain interactions in neurotypical individuals where the respiratory rhythm has emerged as a potential modulator of excitability states in the brain.

methodsHere, we investigate respiration phase-locked modulations of E:I balance and their involvement in the timing of spike discharges in a case report of a 25 year-old focal epilepsy patient using magnetoencephalography (MEG).

resultsWe show that i) respiration differentially modulates E:I balance in focal epilepsy compared to N = 40 neurotypical controls and ii) IED timing depends on both excitability and respiratory states.

conclusionsThese findings overall suggest an intricate interplay of respiration phase-locked changes in excitation and the consequential susceptibility for IED generation and we hope they will spark interest in subsequent work on body-brain coupling and E:I balance in epilepsy.

Identifiers

PMID40211071
PMCPMC11985961

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.