Network Colocalization Correlates of Depression and Anxiety in Pediatric Focal Cortical Dysplasia-Related Epilepsy

Authors

• Xiaotong Li, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Ty Charde, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Venkata Sita Illapani, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Sonya M. Leikin, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Hua Xie, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Chima O. Oluigbo, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• L Gilbert Vezina, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• William D. Gaillard, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Hayley J. Loblein, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Perrine Heymann, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Leigh N. Sepeta, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Madison M. Berl, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Adelaide S. Robb, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.
• Nathan T. Cohen, Center for Neuroscience Research, Children's National Hospital, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC.

Document Type

Journal Article

Publication Date

4-2-2026

Journal

Annals of neurology

DOI

10.1002/ana.78219

Abstract

OBJECTIVE: Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD) is the most common cause of surgically treatable, drug-resistant epilepsy in children. Anxiety and depression are frequent comorbidities in epilepsy. This study examined whether FCD overlap with large-scale functional networks, the default mode network (DMN) and the limbic network, is associated with parent-reported anxiety or depressive symptoms. METHODS: Sixty-nine patients with FCD-related epilepsy completed the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL), among whom 56 finished the 6 to 18 years version of CBCL (CBCL). FCD overlap (%) with Yeo 7-networks was calculated. General linear models tested FCD or FCD overlap with CBCL Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - Fifth Edition (DSM)-Anxiety Problems or DSM-Depressive Problems Scores controlling for age and gender. RESULTS: Fifty-six patients had preoperative CBCL (median age = 12.8 years, 55% male patients). FCD overlap (B = 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 0.002-0.16, partial η = 0.086, p = 0.045) and female gender were associated with higher DSM-Depressive Problems T-scores. This lesion-network depressive-symptoms effect was stronger in an adolescent-only model (52% male patients): FCD overlap (B = 0.19, 95% CI = 0.068-0.32, partial η = 0.37, p = 0.004). Network overlap was not associated with DSM-Anxiety Problems in any age group. INTERPRETATION: FCD overlap is associated with increased depressive symptoms, particularly for adolescents, whereas FCD overlap is not. These findings underscore the importance of lesion-network colocalization contributing to depression vulnerability in developmental epilepsy and highlight DMN colocalization involvement as a potential neurobiological marker of depressive risk. ANN NEUROL 2026.

APA Citation

Li, Xiaotong; Charde, Ty; Illapani, Venkata Sita; Leikin, Sonya M.; Xie, Hua; Oluigbo, Chima O.; Vezina, L Gilbert; Gaillard, William D.; Loblein, Hayley J.; Heymann, Perrine; Sepeta, Leigh N.; Berl, Madison M.; Robb, Adelaide S.; and Cohen, Nathan T., "Network Colocalization Correlates of Depression and Anxiety in Pediatric Focal Cortical Dysplasia-Related Epilepsy" (2026). GW Authored Works. Paper 9130.
https://hsrc.himmelfarb.gwu.edu/gwhpubs/9130

Department

Pediatrics