Epilepsy, Brain Networks, and Memory

None of the normal or pathological brain functions solely arise from distinct brain regions, but from interactions between the large scale brain networks. The intrinsic connectivity between saliency network, default-mode network, and central executive network lays the foundation of cognitive processes such as memory. Epilepsy certainly disturbs activity of intrinsic connectivity within and between the networks. Exploring changes of the large scale brain networks associated with focal or generalized epileptic discharges provides information about both transient and permanent memory impairment related to spatio-temporal disruption of brain connectivity. In this lecture, I will try to discuss memory impairments of patients with epilepsy in the brain connectivity paradigm.