title: Acoustically presented semantic decision-making tasks provide a robust depiction of the temporo-parietal speech areas.
abstract: Functional MRI (fMRI) is routinely used to depict language areas, for example in the preoperative diagnostic work-up of patients with a brain tumour. The objective of this study was to test whether semantic decision making can activate the temporo-parietal language areas better than phonological generation stimuli. Five fMRI language stimuli were tested in 20 healthy volunteers: (i) word generation to a given letter (WG); (ii) verb generation to a given noun (VG); (iii) generation of groups of words (GW); (iv) detection of a semantic violation in sentences (SV); and (v) detection of pseudowords (PW). The stimuli were presented both visually and acoustically. We used a block design and evaluated the data with SPM5 with predefined regions of interest in the frontal and temporo-parietal language areas. A lateralisation index (LI) was also calculated. We found that WG and VG achieved the best results in frontal language areas; VG, SV and PW presented acoustically achieved the best results in the temporo-parietal language areas; and that LI was most reliably calculated in the frontal language areas. An acoustically presented semantic decision making stimulus should be implemented in the preoperative diagnostic work-up to robustly depict the temporo-parietal language areas. The stimulus is easy to understand and perform, and it achieves robust results.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neuroradiology, University of Schleswig-Hostein, Campus Kiel, 24105 Kiel, Germany. ulfrjensen@web.de
authors.forename: Ulf R
authors.initials: UR
authors.lastname: Jensen-Kondering
authors.forename: Z
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Ghobadi
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Wolff
authors.forename: O
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Jansen
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Ulmer
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000465:Algorithms; D001931:Brain Mapping / Q000379:methods; D003627:Data Interpretation, Statistical; D003657:Decision Making / Q000502:physiology*; D004558:Electric Stimulation; D005260:Female; D005625:Frontal Lobe / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D008279:Magnetic Resonance Imaging; D008297:Male; D010296:Parietal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D010775:Photic Stimulation; D011932:Reading; D012146:Rest / Q000502:physiology; D012660:Semantics; D013060:Speech / Q000502:physiology*; D013702:Temporal Lobe / Q000502:physiology*; D055815:Young Adult