Mapping Brain Networks of Social Cognition and Their Changes in Adults with Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Undergoing Surgery

What this Trial Is About

Researchers are investigating social cognition, which is the ability to understand and respond to social information, in patients with drug-resistant medial temporal lobe epilepsy. This condition can impair social cognition, leading to a reduced quality of life. The study aims to map the structure and function of the social cognition network in 20 healthy individuals and 20 patients before and one year after epilepsy surgery to better understand how these networks are affected and reorganized. Participants will undergo detailed neuropsychological testing using a validated French assessment tool for social cognition. Brain scans will be performed using a 3-Tesla MRI to examine brain structure and white matter tracts involved in social cognition, and a 7-Tesla MRI to assess brain activity at rest and during social cognition tasks. These assessments will be done before surgery and repeated one year after surgery to observe changes. During the study, participants will have clinical and cognitive evaluations, along with advanced MRI scans to measure brain structure and function. Researchers will analyze changes in white matter tracts and brain activation related to social cognition. The primary outcomes include measures of brain tract integrity and functional MRI signals, with follow-up assessments to monitor network reorganization after epilepsy surgery. The total study duration extends to at least one year post-surgery.

Cartography of Social Cognition Network and Their Alterations in Patients With Epilepsy