Temporal Dynamics of Functional Connectivity in Temporal and Extra-Temporal Lobe Epilepsy: A Magnetoencephalography-Based Study

Goal: This study aims to explore the temporal dynamics of functional connectivity in drug-resistant focal epilepsy, focusing on Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (TLE) and Extra-Temporal Lobe Epilepsy (ETLE), using magnetoencephalography (MEG). Methods: Temporal metrics such as Change Between States, Entropy of Transition Patterns, Entropy of Transition Probabilities, Dwell Time, Stability, and Max L1 Distance derived from dynamic functional connectivity matrices were analyzed across eight frequency bands (delta, theta, alpha, beta, low gamma, mid gamma, high gamma and broadband) in TLE and ETLE patients. Results: Significant differences were observed between TLE and ETLE. ETLE exhibited more widespread and unpredictable connectivity transitions, while TLE demonstrated localized and structured patterns. Entropy metrics indicated higher randomness in ETLE, and dwell time analysis revealed shorter state persistence in ETLE compared to TLE. Conclusions: The findings highlight the potential of MEG-based temporal connectivity metrics in characterizing network disruptions in focal epilepsy.