Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41603169›Full record

ArticleEpilepsia2026

Distinct thalamic functional connectivity and volume patterns across focal epilepsies in children: A multimodal neuroimaging study.

Xiyu Feng, Aswin Chari, Maria H Eriksson, Freya Prentice, Xiaosong He, Hua Xie, Leigh Sepeta, M Zubair Tahir, Jonathan D Clayden, Martin M Tisdall and 2 more

Abstract read
PubMed Full text at PMC Publisher
In one paragraph

Article in Epilepsia, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing papers in PubMed
–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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
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

12 authors.

Xiyu FengDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0009-0005-0578-9420
Aswin ChariDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0053-147X
Maria H ErikssonDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6869-5804
Freya PrenticeDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1940-7252
Xiaosong HeDepartment of Psychology, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei, China.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7941-2918
Hua XieChildren's National Hospital, Washington, USA.
Leigh SepetaChildren's National Hospital, Washington, USA.
M Zubair TahirDepartment of Neurosurgery, Great Ormond Street Hospital, London, UK.
Jonathan D ClaydenDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Martin M TisdallDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.
Torsten BaldewegDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5724-1679
Rory J PiperDevelopmental Neurosciences, Great Ormond Street Institute of Child Health, University College London, London, UK.ORCID https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6422-5853

Funding

Imaging the Impact of Childhood Epilepsy on Memory Development - SupplementK23NS093152 · NINDS · CHILDREN'S RESEARCH INSTITUTE · PI SEPETA, LEIGH · 2018 to 2023
$912k
Great Ormond Street Hospital CharityNational Institute for Health and Care ResearchNational Natural Science Foundation of China 82271491NIH HHS K23 NS093152NIH HHS P50 HD10532University of Science and Technology of China
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveThe thalamus is a key hub in seizure propagation, and its nuclei are emerging targets for neuromodulation. However, the contributions of individual nuclei to epileptic networks remain unclear, particularly in children, who are less studied than adults. We investigated structural and functional thalamic alterations across different pediatric focal epilepsies and their associations with clinical features and postsurgical outcomes.

methodsWe retrospectively studied children with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE), frontal lobe epilepsy (FLE), and posterior quadrant epilepsy (PQE) and healthy controls. The thalamus was segmented into four nuclei groups (anterior, lateral, medial, pulvinar) using the THOMAS pipeline on T1-weighted magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to estimate volumes. Functional connectivity was assessed with functional MRI using node strength, capturing total thalamic connectivity across the brain. We compared patients with controls and evaluated associations with hippocampal sclerosis, history of focal to bilateral tonic-clonic seizures, and postsurgical seizure freedom.

resultsAmong 136 children with focal epilepsy (81 TLE, 36 FLE, 19 PQE; mean age = 13.0 years) and 70 controls (mean age = 13.4 years), ipsilateral thalamic volume reductions were observed in the following: anterior and lateral nuclei and pulvinar in TLE, anterior and lateral nuclei in FLE, and pulvinar in PQE (Cohen d = .52-.70, all Bonferroni-corrected p < .05). In contrast, medial nuclei volume increase was associated with history of seizure generalization (partial η SIGNIFICANCE: We demonstrate both shared and syndrome-specific thalamic abnormalities in pediatric focal epilepsy. Common patterns included ipsilateral thalamic volume loss, indicating cumulative disease burden, and reduced bilateral functional connectivity, particularly in the pulvinar, likely reflecting thalamocortical decoupling. These findings advance understanding of seizure networks beyond the epileptogenic zone and provide a foundation for personalized thalamic-targeted neuromodulation strategies.

Indexed as

Epilepsies, PartialThalamusAdolescentChildEpilepsy, Frontal LobeEpilepsy, Temporal LobeFemaleHippocampal SclerosisHumansMagnetic Resonance ImagingMaleMultimodal ImagingNeural PathwaysNeuroimagingRetrospective Studiesatrophyfocal epilepsyfunctional connectivitypediatricthalamus

Identifiers

PMID41603169
PMCPMC13179666

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.