IMR Press / JIN / Volume 18 / Issue 2 / DOI: 10.31083/j.jin.2019.02.102
Open Access Original Research
Model for cascading failures in functional networks: application to epileptic patients with generalized tonic-clonic seizures
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1 College of Computer and Communication, Lanzhou University of Technology, Lanzhou, Gansu, 730050, P. R. China
2 Department of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance, The Second Hospital of Lanzhou University, Lanzhou, Gansu, 733000, P. R. China
*Correspondence: keming@lut.cn (Ming Ke)
J. Integr. Neurosci. 2019, 18(2), 133–139; https://doi.org/10.31083/j.jin.2019.02.102
Submitted: 17 January 2019 | Accepted: 15 April 2019 | Published: 30 June 2019
Abstract

The dynamic process of epilepsy is modeled as a cascading failure model in functional networks derived from graph theory. The aim is to test whether cascading failure identified from functional magnetic resonance imaging data could simulate epileptic discharges in 18 subjects with generalized tonic-clonic seizure and 17 demographically matched healthy controls. A cascading failure model was used to simulate the neural networks underlying generalized tonic-clonic seizure and healthy controls by stimulation of the node with the greatest number of connections. Results showed that the efficiency of generalized tonic-clonic seizure dropped significantly when compared to controls. Particular nodes whose efficiency altered significantly showed a correlation with the symptoms of generalized tonic-clonic seizure. Results also indicated that the left middle frontal lobe may be a potential focal area in the initiation of generalized tonic-clonic seizure.

Keywords
Cascading failure
functional magnetic resonance imaging
shortest path
generalized tonic-clonic seizure
graph theory
Figures
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