To investigate the influence of epileptogenic cortex (Rolandic areas) with executive functions in Rolandic epilepsy using structural covariance analysis of structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Structural MRI data of drug-naive patients with Rolandic epilepsy (n = 70) and typically developing children as healthy controls (n = 83) were analyzed using voxel-based morphometry. Gray matter volumes in the patients were compared with those of healthy controls, and were further correlated with epilepsy duration and cognitive score of executive function, respectively. By applying Granger causal analysis to the sequenced morphometric data according to disease progression information, causal network of structural covariance was constructed to assess the causal influence of structural changes from Rolandic cortices to the regions engaging executive function in the patients. Compared with healthy controls, epilepsy patients showed increased gray matter volume in the Rolandic regions, and also the regions engaging in executive function. Covariance network analyses showed that along with disease progression, the Rolandic regions imposed positive causal influence on the regions engaging in executive function. In the patients with Rolandic epilepsy, epileptogenic regions have causal influence on the structural changes in the regions of executive function, implicating damaging effects of Rolandic epilepsy on human brain.

使用结构磁共振成像 (MRI) 的结构协方差分析研究致癫痫皮层 (Rolandic 区域) 与执行功能在 Rolandic 癫痫中的影响。使用基于体素的形态计量学分析了未使用药物的 Rolandic 癫痫患者 (n = 70) 和通常作为健康对照的发育儿童 (n = 83) 的结构 MRI 数据。将患者的灰质体积与健康对照组进行比较，并进一步分别与癫痫持续时间和执行功能的认知评分相关。通过根据疾病进展信息对测序的形态测量数据进行格兰杰因果分析，构建了结构协方差的因果网络，以评估从 Rolandic 皮质到患者执行功能区域的结构变化的因果影响。与健康对照组相比，癫痫患者在 Rolandic 区域以及执行功能区域的灰质体积增加。协方差网络分析表明，随着疾病的进展，Rolandic 区域对从事执行功能的区域施加了积极的因果影响。在 Rolandic 癫痫患者中，致癫痫区域对执行功能区域的结构变化有因果影响，暗示 Rolandic 癫痫对人脑的破坏作用。癫痫患者在 Rolandic 区域以及从事执行功能的区域显示出灰质体积增加。协方差网络分析表明，随着疾病的进展，Rolandic 区域对从事执行功能的区域施加了积极的因果影响。在 Rolandic 癫痫患者中，致癫痫区域对执行功能区域的结构变化有因果影响，暗示 Rolandic 癫痫对人脑的破坏作用。癫痫患者在 Rolandic 区域以及从事执行功能的区域显示出灰质体积增加。协方差网络分析表明，随着疾病的进展，Rolandic 区域对从事执行功能的区域施加了积极的因果影响。在 Rolandic 癫痫患者中，致癫痫区域对执行功能区域的结构变化有因果影响，暗示 Rolandic 癫痫对人脑的破坏作用。