Long-term memory plasticity in a decade-long connectivity study post anterior temporal lobe resection

• Published in: Nature communications 2025-01, Vol.16 (1), p.692-17, Article 692
• Main Authors: Fleury, Marine N., Binding, Lawrence P., Taylor, Peter, Xiao, Fenglai, Giampiccolo, Davide, Buck, Sarah, Winston, Gavin P., Thompson, Pamela J., Baxendale, Sallie, McEvoy, Andrew W., Koepp, Matthias J., Duncan, John S., Sidhu, Meneka K.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: 59/36; 59/57; 631/378/1689/178; 631/378/2649; Adult; Anterior Temporal Lobectomy; Case-Control Studies; Cingulum; Early experience; Epilepsy; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - diagnostic imaging; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - physiopathology; Epilepsy, Temporal Lobe - surgery; Female; Functional magnetic resonance imaging; Functional plasticity; Globus pallidus; Humanities and Social Sciences; Humans; Long term memory; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Memory; Memory, Episodic; Memory, Long-Term - physiology; Mental task performance; Middle Aged; multidisciplinary; Neural networks; Neuronal Plasticity - physiology; Neuroplasticity; Neuropsychological Tests; Recovery; Recovery of function; Science; Science (multidisciplinary); Seizures; Surgery; Temporal lobe; Temporal Lobe - diagnostic imaging; Temporal Lobe - physiopathology; Temporal Lobe - surgery; Visual observation; Visual plasticity; Young Adult
• ISSN: 2041-1723; 2041-1723
• DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-55704-x

Approximately 40% of individuals undergoing anterior temporal lobe resection for temporal lobe epilepsy experience episodic memory decline. There has been a focus on early memory network changes; longer-term plasticity and its impact on memory function are unclear. Our study investigates neural mechanisms of memory recovery and network plasticity over nearly a decade post-surgery. We assess memory network changes, from 3–12 months to 10 years postoperatively, in 25 patients (12 left-sided resections) relative to 10 healthy matched controls, using longitudinal task-based functional MRI and standard neuropsychology assessments. We observe key adaptive changes in memory networks of a predominantly seizure-free cohort. Ongoing neuroplasticity in posterior medial temporal regions and contralesional cingulum or pallidum contribute to long-term verbal and visual memory recovery. Here, we show the potential for sustained cognitive improvement and importance of strategic approaches in epilepsy treatment, advocating for conservative surgeries and long-term use of cognitive rehabilitation for ongoing recovery. Using functional MRI, the authors tracked memory recovery over a decade after epilepsy surgery, revealing key brain changes in spared medial temporal structures and contralateral regions, highlighting neural mechanisms behind sustained improvement.