Characterization of BOLD-fMRI signal during a verbal fluency paradigm in patients with intracerebral tumors affecting the frontal lobe

• Published in: Magnetic resonance imaging Vol. 20; no. 1; pp. 7 - 16
• Main Authors: Schlösser, Ralf, Hunsche, Stefan, Gawehn, Joachim, Grunert, Peter, Vucurevic, Goran, Gesierich, Thomas, Kaufmann, Bettina, Rossbach, Wolfgang, Stoeter, Peter
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 2002; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Adult; Astrocytoma - complications; Astrocytoma - diagnosis; Astrocytoma - physiopathology; Biological and medical sciences; Brain Mapping; Brain Neoplasms - complications; Brain Neoplasms - diagnosis; Brain Neoplasms - physiopathology; Female; fMRI; Frontal cortex; Frontal Lobe - physiopathology; Humans; Investigative techniques, diagnostic techniques (general aspects); Language; Language Tests; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Nervous system; Radiodiagnosis. Nmr imagery. Nmr spectrometry; Speech Disorders - etiology; Tumors; Verbal Behavior - physiology; fMRI; Frontal cortex; Language; Tumors; Human; Intracranial; Nervous system diseases; Verbal fluidity; Frontal lobe; Nuclear magnetic resonance imaging; Cerebral disorder; Central nervous system disease; Medical imagery; Tumor; Functional imaging
• ISSN: 0730-725X; 1873-5894
• DOI: 10.1016/S0730-725X(01)00434-9

Previous studies have indicated that the BOLD-fMRI signal can be modified by tumor processes in close vicinity to functional brain areas. This effect has been investigated primarily for the perirolandic area but there is only a limited number of studies concerning frontal cortical regions. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to characterize BOLD-fMRI signal and activation patterns in patients with frontal brain tumors while performing a verbal fluency task. Six patients (ages 31–56 years) suffering from frontal (5 left sided and 1 right sided) intracerebral tumors were examined with fMRI while performing a verbal fluency task in a blocked paradigm design. Eight healthy volunteers served as the control group. The patients (5 right and 1 left handed) demonstrated left frontal activation which could be clearly located outside the tumor area and adjacent edema with varying degrees of additional right frontal activation. In the predominant left frontal activation cluster, the mean voxel based z-score and cluster size were not statistically different between patients and controls. The present fMRI study is indicating that language related BOLD signal changes in the frontal cortex of patients with tumors close to functional areas were comparable to the signal in normal controls. Additionally, the temporal hemodynamic response characteristic was comparable in both groups. This is an important finding consistent with PET results and corroborates the feasibility of functional mapping approaches in patients with tumors affecting the frontal lobe. Additional studies investigating alterations of the hemodynamic response depending on tumor location and histology are required in order to further elucidate the association between pathophysiology and BOLD fMRI signal.