[Heschl's gyrus identification using functional MRI: neurosurgical issue].
OBJECTIVE
Localizing Heschl's gyrus with functional MRI (fMRI) is a particularly difficult challenge due to the noise of the echo planar sequences and the frequent activation of language areas during auditory paradigms. The goal of this study was to search for a paradigm capable of assessing only pure primary auditory cortex activation with fMRI.


METHODS
Ten healthy adults were studied. Subjects were asked to continuously perform a visual decisional task while passively listening to an ON-OFF randomized paradigm of tones and rhythmic stimuli. Data were analyzed with SPM.


RESULTS
Auditory cortex activation was assessed by observing activated pixels in functional images. Due to the distraction effect of the visual decisional task, functional images of pure primary auditory cortex were obtained in all subjects, with strong and selective activation in the Heschl's gyrus.


CONCLUSIONS
This technique, coupled with fMRI data of language areas can be used as a preoperative tool for surgical preplanning in the left superior temporal region. It shows a clear distinction between resectable areas (primary auditory cortex) and not resectable essential areas (language areas).
Carpentier
A
A
Service de Neurochirurgie, Hôpital de La Pitié-Salpêtrière, Université Paris-VI - Pierre-et-Marie-Curie, 75651 Paris Cedex 13, France. alexandre.carpentier@psl.ap-hop-paris.fr
Clemenceau
S
S
Constable
T
T
Cornu
P
P
Baulac
M
M
Van Effenterre
R
R
D000161:Acoustic Stimulation; D000328:Adult; D001303:Auditory Cortex / Q000033:anatomy & histology* / Q000601:surgery*; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D019635:Neurosurgical Procedures / Q000379:methods*
Identification du gyrus de heschl en IRM fonctionnelle.