Grant: Project Grant

The mesiotemporal lobe (MTL) is a critical brain network involved in declarative memory, spatial cognition, and affective processes. Pathological changes in this region are observed in multiple neurological conditions, with pharmaco-resistant temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) being a prototypical disorder of the MTL. In addition to seizures, individuals with TLE show disturbances in cognitive and emotional processes. Moreover, some-but not all-patients develop additional functional challenges post-surgery, which can significantly affect their quality of life. This project aims to study the organization of the human MTL in unprecedented detail and to clarify structure-function relationships that contribute to memory and affect. We will leverage high-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) at 7 Tesla techniques to develop a novel cartography of MTL microarchitecture, connectivity, and function. We will examine how the microstructural organization of the MTL relate to the localization of networks implicated in cognition and affect, and investigate inter-individual variability. Studying TLE patients both before and after surgery will allow us to assess the impact of MTL lesions and their surgical resection on functional network reorganization, and their contribution to seizures as well as cognitive and emotional capacity. A multidisciplinary team of experts in high-field MRI, neuroinformatics, cognitive neuroscience, MTL anatomy, and epilepsy research and treatment drives this innovative project. Our work will contribute to a novel cartography of the MTL in both health and disease. It will mechanistically investigate the effects of lesions and their surgical resection on large-scale brain networks. Ultimately, the framework developed in this project may improve the ability to predict functional impairments and improve surgical outcomes in epileptic patients.