BACKGROUND: Assessment of language organization is crucial in patients considered for epilepsy surgery. In children, the current techniques, intra-carotid amobarbital test (IAT) for language dominance, and cortical electrostimulation mapping (ESM), are invasive and risky. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an alternative method for noninvasive functional mapping, through the detection of the hemodynamic changes associated with neuronal activation. We used fMRI, to assess language dominance in children with partial epilepsy. METHODS: Eleven right handed children and adolescents performed a word generation task during fMRI acquisition focused on the frontal lobes. Areas where the signal time course correlated with the test paradigm (r = 0.7) were considered activated. Extent and magnitude of signal changes were used to calculate asymmetry indices. Seven patients had IAT, ESM, or surgery outcome available for comparison. RESULTS: fMRI language dominance always agreed with IAT (6 cases) and ESM (1 case), showing left dominance in six and bilateral language in one. fMRI demonstrated left dominance in three additional children, and right dominance in one with early onset of left temporal epilepsy. Four children whose initial studies were equivocal due to noncompliance or motion artifacts were restudied successfully. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI can be used to assess language lateralization noninvasively in children. It has the potential to replace current functional mapping techniques in patients, and to provide important data on brain development.
BACKGROUND: Assessment of language organization is crucial in patients considered for epilepsy surgery. In children, the current techniques, intra-carotid amobarbital test (IAT) for language dominance, and cortical electrostimulation mapping (ESM), are invasive and risky. Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is an alternative method for noninvasive functional mapping, through the detection of the hemodynamic changes associated with neuronal activation. We used fMRI, to assess language dominance in children with partial epilepsy. METHODS: Eleven right handed children and adolescents performed a word generation task during fMRI acquisition focused on the frontal lobes. Areas where the signal time course correlated with the test paradigm (r = 0.7) were considered activated. Extent and magnitude of signal changes were used to calculate asymmetry indices. Seven patients had IAT, ESM, or surgery outcome available for comparison. RESULTS: fMRI language dominance always agreed with IAT (6 cases) and ESM (1 case), showing left dominance in six and bilateral language in one. fMRI demonstrated left dominance in three additional children, and right dominance in one with early onset of left temporal epilepsy. Four children whose initial studies were equivocal due to noncompliance or motion artifacts were restudied successfully. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI can be used to assess language lateralization noninvasively in children. It has the potential to replace current functional mapping techniques in patients, and to provide important data on brain development.
Authors: William D Gaillard; Bonnie C Sachs; Joseph R Whitnah; Zaaira Ahmad; Lyn M Balsamo; Jeffrey R Petrella; Suzanne H Braniecki; Christopher M McKinney; Kevin Hunter; Ben Xu; Cecile B Grandin Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2003-03 Impact factor: 5.038
Authors: Anna Weber Byars; Scott K Holland; Richard H Strawsburg; Wendy Bommer; R Scott Dunn; Vince J Schmithorst; Elena Plante Journal: J Child Neurol Date: 2002-12 Impact factor: 1.987
Authors: K Deblaere; P A Boon; P Vandemaele; A Tieleman; K Vonck; G Vingerhoets; W Backes; L Defreyne; E Achten Journal: Neuroradiology Date: 2004-05-01 Impact factor: 2.804
Authors: Madison M Berl; Jessica Mayo; Erin N Parks; Lisa R Rosenberger; John VanMeter; Nan Bernstein Ratner; Chandan J Vaidya; William Davis Gaillard Journal: Hum Brain Mapp Date: 2012-10-03 Impact factor: 5.038