title: [Functional magnetic resonance imaging in the determination of dominant language cerebral area].
abstract: Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) is a technique for detecting minimal changes in brain perfusion and oxygenation secondary to neuronal activation. Its application in the pre-surgical evaluation of epileptic patients with temporal mesial sclerosis is currently being under investigation in several centers. This study aims to describe an activation paradigm for the evaluation of language and memory functions, as an alternative to the worldwide used Wada test, which is an invasive procedure. In order to propose a paradigm adapted to the Portuguese language, we report our experience in determining the dominant cerebral area for language through fMRI with a verbal fluency task. The results of the fMRI from 19 patients studied in Curitiba in a period of approximately two years were studied. Sixteen of them presented with left hemispheric cerebral language dominance. In five patients, results from fMRI and Wada test could be compared and agreed in localization. Our results reinforce the view that fMRI may become an essential tool for medical practice, perhaps for the determination of eloquent areas in the evaluation of candidates for epilepsy surgery.
authors.affiliation: Neurocirurgião do Instituto de Neurologia de Curitiba, Departmento de Anatomia, Universidade Federal Paraná, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. mmeneses@onda.com.br
authors.forename: Murilo S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Meneses
authors.forename: Samanta F Blattes
authors.initials: SF
authors.lastname: Rocha
authors.forename: Marcelo R Young
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Blood
authors.forename: Alcides
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Trentin
authors.forename: Paulo Roberto
authors.initials: PR
authors.lastname: Benites Filho
authors.forename: Pedro André
authors.initials: PA
authors.lastname: Kowacs
authors.forename: Nelson de Andrade
authors.initials: Nde A
authors.lastname: Oliveira
authors.forename: Cristiane A
authors.initials: CA
authors.lastname: Simão
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Awamura
authors.forename: Maria L A
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Vítola
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D002540:Cerebral Cortex; D005260:Female; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D007802:Language; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging / Q000379:methods*; D008297:Male; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D015203:Reproducibility of Results