title: Functional MR imaging of the motor cortex in healthy volunteers and patients with brain tumours: qualitative and quantitative results.
abstract: The purpose of this study was to compare functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging of the motor cortex in healthy volunteers and patients with brain tumours. Functional MR imaging was performed in 14 healthy volunteers and 14 patients with tumours in or near the primary motor cortex with groups being matched for age, sex, and handedness. Functional images were acquired during motion of the right and left hand. Time courses of signal intensity within the contralateral, ipsilateral, and supplementary motor cortex as well as z-maps were calculated, their quality being assessed visually. Mean signal increase between activation and rest were evaluated within the contralateral, ipsilateral, and supplementary motor cortex, the activated area in those regions of interest was measured using z-maps. The quality of functional MR experiments was generally lower in patients than in volunteers. The quantitative results showed a trend towards increased ipsilateral activation in volunteers during left hand compared to right hand motion and in patients during motion of the affected compared to the non-affected hand. Considering quantitative and qualitative results, significantly increased ipsilateral activation was found in patients compared to healthy volunteers. In conclusion, functional MR imaging quality was significantly reduced in patient studies compared to healthy volunteers, even if influences of age, sex, and handedness were excluded. Increased ipsilateral activation was found in patients with brain tumours which can be interpreted by an improved connectivity between both hemispheres.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001932:Brain Neoplasms / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D005909:Glioblastoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D006429:Hemiplegia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008545:Melanoma / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D009044:Motor Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology*