Functional connectivity characteristics of epilepsy with anxiety: A resting-state functional near-infrared spectroscopy study

Functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) was applied to investigate the resting-state functional connectivity (RSFC) characteristics of the cerebral cortex in epileptic patients with and without anxiety. A total of 38 epileptic patients were recruited and divided into 2 groups according to the Generalized Anxiety Disorder 7-item score: epilepsy with anxiety (anxiety group) and epilepsy without anxiety (non-anxiety group). Resting-state fNIRS for 15 minutes was performed on each patient. Preprocessing of fNIRS data and RSFC analysis were performed in NirSpark software (Danyang Huichuang Medical Equipment Co., Ltd., China). Brain network was divided into 6 regions of interest (ROI). Based on the concentration of oxygenated hemoglobin in the time series, the RSFC strength was calculated. The RSFC between the 2 groups was compared in the bilateral prefrontal cortex, sensory cortex, and motor cortex. Epileptic patients with anxiety showed a decrease in group-averaged RSFC strength and ROI-ROI connectivity strength. The mean strength of RSFC and its standard deviations were 0.34 ± 0.14 for the anxiety group and 0.38 ± 0.15 for the non-anxiety group (P > .05, t = 0.854). The RSFC between part of the frontal and parietal channels in the anxiety group was significantly lower than that in the non-anxiety group (P < .05, t = 2.897). However, no significant difference was found after false discovery rate (FDR) correction. Before FDR correction, there was no significant difference except for the functional connectivity between the right prefrontal cortex and left motor cortex (P = .046, t = 2.064). However, there was no significant difference after FDR correction. fNIRS is an available imaging instrument for examining RSFC in various contexts. In this specific investigation, no significant difference was found in functional connectivity between epileptic patients with or without anxiety using resting-state fNIRS. Future studies should consider employing larger sample sizes or utilizing task-state fNIRS methodologies. By continuing to explore the capabilities of fNIRS in understanding brain connectivity and its association with anxiety in epilepsy patients, we can provide information for more effective diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, ultimately enhancing the care and management of these individuals.