title: Spared somatomotor and cognitive functions in a patient with a large porencephalic cyst revealed by fMRI.
abstract: To date functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has not been extensively used in presurgical evaluation of patients with intractable epilepsy. Patient S.P. presented with left frontal originating seizures, secondary to a large porencephalic cyst that encompassed much of his occipital and temporal cortex and a substantial portion of ipsilateral parietal cortex. Nevertheless, S.P. did not demonstrate any gross impairments of praxis or speech. Scalp electroencephalogram (EEG) telemetry revealed reduced background activity in the left hemisphere, an absence of identifiable normal sleep states, and confirmed the left frontal origin of his seizures with a prolonged postictal state, suggesting that the remaining cortex in S.P.'s left hemisphere did not function normally despite his apparently normal appearance. Dichotic listening results also suggested that S.P. had an atypical language representation suggestive of either bilateral or right hemisphere speech representation. Surgical intervention to remove the remaining left hemisphere cortex was a serious consideration for treatment of S.P.'s seizures. We used fMRI to evaluate whether or not the remaining cortex in S.P.'s left hemisphere supported any cognitive or motor functions. Even though the volume of cerebral cortex was severely reduced and displaced in the left hemisphere, fMRI revealed significant activation in this remaining tissue in response to motor, somatosensory, and word generation tasks. In other words, we were able to demonstrate using fMRI that the remaining tissue in S.P.'s left hemisphere continued to support some motor and cognitive functions. The possible implications of these findings in terms of functional reorganisation are discussed briefly.
authors.affiliation: CIHR Group on Action and Perception, Department of Psychology, University of Western Ontario, London, Ont., Canada N6A 5C2. jdancker@watarts.uwaterloo.ca
authors.forename: James
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Danckert
authors.forename: Seyed M
authors.initials: SM
authors.lastname: Mirsattari
authors.forename: Stacey
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Danckert
authors.forename: Samuel
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wiebe
authors.forename: Warren T
authors.initials: WT
authors.lastname: Blume
authors.forename: David
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Carey
authors.forename: Ravi
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Menon
authors.forename: Melvyn A
authors.initials: MA
authors.lastname: Goodale
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D003071:Cognition / Q000502:physiology*; D003560:Cysts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology*; D004569:Electroencephalography; D007839:Functional Laterality; D006801:Humans; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009473:Neuronal Plasticity / Q000502:physiology; D009778:Occipital Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology*; D011859:Radiography; D020127:Recovery of Function; D012640:Seizures / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D014705:Verbal Behavior / Q000502:physiology*