The salience network (SN) acts as a switch that generates transient control signals to regulate the executive control network (ECN) and the default mode network (DMN) and has been implicated in cognitive processes. Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is usually accompanied by different types of cognitive deficits, but whether it is associated with dysfunctional connectivity of the SN remains unknown. To address this, thirty-six patients with right TLE (rTLE) and thirty-six healthy controls (HCs) were recruited for the present study. All of the participants were subjected to attention network test (ANT) and resting-state functional resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) scanning. The patient group showed deficits in attention performance. Moreover, the functional connectivity (FC) and effective connectivity (EC) were analyzed based on key SN hubs (the anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and the bilateral anterior insula (AI)). When compared with those in the HC group, the ACC showed increased FC with the left middle frontal gyrus and the left precentral gyrus, and the right AI showed decreased FC with the right precuneus and the right superior occipital gyrus in the patient group. The EC analysis revealed an increased inflow of information from the left middle temporal gyrus to the ACC and the right AI and an increased outflow of information from the bilateral AI to the left middle frontal gyrus. Furthermore, in the correlation analysis, the abnormal EC from the right AI to the left middle temporal gyrus was positively correlated with the executive control effect. These findings demonstrated aberrant modulation of the SN in rTLE, which was particularly characterized by dysfunctional connectivity between the SN and key brain regions in the DMN and ECN. Elucidation of this effect may further contribute to the comprehensive understanding of the neural mechanisms of the SN in regard to attention deficits in patients with TLE.

显着网络（SN）充当开关，生成瞬态控制信号来调节执行控制网络（ECN）和默认模式网络（DMN），并且与认知过程有关。颞叶癫痫 (TLE) 通常伴有不同类型的认知缺陷，但其是否与 SN 的连接功能障碍有关仍不清楚。为了解决这个问题，本研究招募了 36 名右侧 TLE (rTLE) 患者和 36 名健康对照 (HC)。所有参与者均接受了注意力网络测试（ANT）和静息态功能磁共振成像（rs-fMRI）扫描。患者组表现出注意力缺陷。此外，基于关键的SN枢纽（前扣带皮层（ACC）和双侧前岛叶（AI））分析功能连接（FC）和有效连接（EC）。与HC组相比，患者组ACC显示左侧额中回和左侧中央前回的FC增加，右侧AI显示右侧楔前回和右侧枕上回的FC减少。 EC 分析显示，从左侧颞中回到 ACC 和右侧 AI 的信息流入增加，从双侧 AI 到左侧额中回的信息流出增加。此外，在相关性分析中，右侧AI至左侧颞中回的异常EC与执行控制效果呈正相关。这些发现表明 rTLE 中 SN 的异常调节，其特点是 SN 与 DMN 和 ECN 中关键脑区之间的连接功能失调。 阐明这种效应可能会进一步有助于全面了解 SN 与 TLE 患者注意力缺陷相关的神经机制。