Localisation of motor areas in brain tumour patients: a comparison of preoperative [18F]FDG-PET and intraoperative cortical electrostimulation

Assessment of the exact spatial relation between tumour and adjacent functionally relevant brain areas is a primary tool in the presurgical planning in brain tumour patients. The purpose of this study was to compare a preoperative fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([18F]FDG PET) activation protocol in patients with tumours near the central area with the results of intraoperative direct cortical electrostimulation, and to determine whether non-invasive preoperative PET imaging can provide results equivalent to those achieved with the invasive neurosurgical "gold standard". In this prospective study, we examined 20 patients with various tumours of the central area, performing two PET scans (each 30 min after i.v. injection of 134-341 MBq [18F]FDG) in each patient: (1) a resting baseline scan and (2) an activation scan using a standardised motor task (finger tapping, foot stretching). Following PET/MRI realignment and normalisation to the whole brain counts, parametric images of the activation versus the rest study were calculated and pixels above categorical threshold values were projected to the individual MRI for bimodal assessment of morphology and function (PET/MRI overlay). Intraoperative direct cortical electrostimulation was performed using a Viking IV probe (5 pulses, each of 100 micros) and documented using a dedicated neuro navigation system. Results were compared with the preoperative PET findings. PET revealed significant activation of the contralateral primary motor cortex in 95% (19/20) of the brain tumour patients (hand activation 13/13, foot activation 6/7), showing a mean increase in normalised [18F]FDG uptake of 20.5% +/- 5.2% (hand activation task) and 17.2% +/- 2.5% (foot activation task). Additionally detected activation of the ipsilateral primary motor cortex was interpreted as a metabolic indication for interhemispheric compensational processes. Evaluation of the PET findings by cortical stimulation yielded a 94% sensitivity and a 95% specificity for identification of motor-associated brain areas. In conclusion, the findings indicate that a relatively simple and clinically available [18F]FDG PET activation protocol enables a sufficiently precise assessment of the local relation between the intracranial tumour and the adjacent motor cortex areas and may facilitate the presurgical planning of tumour resection.     

Localisation of motor areas in brain tumour patients: a comparison of preoperative [18F]FDG-PET and intraoperative cortical electrostimulation

Assessment of the exact spatial relation between tumour and adjacent functionally relevant brain areas is a primary tool in the presurgical planning in brain tumour patients. The purpose of this study was to compare a preoperative fluorine-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography ([¹⁸F]FDG PET) activation protocol in patients with tumours near the central area with the results of intraoperative direct cortical electrostimulation, and to determine whether non-invasive preoperative PET imaging can provide results equivalent to those achieved with the invasive neurosurgical "gold standard". In this prospective study, we examined 20 patients with various tumours of the central area, performing two PET scans (each 30 min after i.v. injection of 134-341 MBq [¹⁸F]FDG) in each patient: (1) a resting baseline scan and (2) an activation scan using a standardised motor task (finger tapping, foot stretching). Following PET/MRI realignment and normalisation to the whole brain counts, parametric images of the activation versus the rest study were calculated and pixels above categorical threshold values were projected to the individual MRI for bimodal assessment of morphology and function (PET/MRI overlay). Intraoperative direct cortical electrostimulation was performed using a Viking IV probe (5 pulses, each of 100 µs) and documented using a dedicated neuro navigation system. Results were compared with the preoperative PET findings. PET revealed significant activation of the contralateral primary motor cortex in 95% (19/20) of the brain tumour patients (hand activation 13/13, foot activation 6/7), showing a mean increase in normalised [¹⁸F]FDG uptake of 20.5%LJ.2% (hand activation task) and 17.2%DŽ.5% (foot activation task). Additionally detected activation of the ipsilateral primary motor cortex was interpreted as a metabolic indication for interhemispheric compensational processes. Evaluation of the PET findings by cortical stimulation yielded a 94% sensitivity and a 95% specificity for identification of motor-associated brain areas. In conclusion, the findings indicate that a relatively simple and clinically available [¹⁸F]FDG PET activation protocol enables a sufficiently precise assessment of the local relation between the intracranial tumour and the adjacent motor cortex areas and may facilitate the presurgical planning of tumour resection.     

Clinical applications of functional MRI at 1.0 T: motor and language studies in healthy subjects and patients

In this article we describe clinical applications of functional MRI (fMRI) at 1.0 T. All experiments were performed on a commercially available 1.0-T system (Magnetom Impact Expert, Siemens AG, Erlangen, Germany) using a blood oxygen level-dependent (BOLD)-sensitive multi-slice EPI technique (TE 66 ms, 4 mm slice thickness, 210 mm field of view, 64 × 64 acquisition matrix). Different paradigms for localization of the motor cortex and for language lateralization were tested in healthy subjects and patients. Methodological considerations concerning the development of the paradigms are also described. In all healthy subjects, motor activation elicited BOLD signal changes in the sensorimotor cortex, permitting identification of primary motor and sensory cortical areas. Furthermore, focal activation of different cortical areas by a language task was possible in 6 of 10 subjects. Nineteen motor studies were performed in 18 patients with supratentorial lesions, in most cases prior to neurosurgical procedures. In 14 studies, fMRI results demonstrated the localization of the motor hand areas relative to the lesion. The results proved valuable for preoperative planning and contributed to therapeutical decisions. We conclude that functional MRI for clinically relevant applications, such as localization of motor and language function, is feasible even at a field strength of 1.0 T without dedicated equipment. Received: 5 May 1998; Revision received: 1 July 1998; Accepted: 13 July 1998     

观察脑肿瘤致大脑运动功能重组患者运动神经网络变化的功能性连接MRI研究

目的 应用功能性连接MR成像(fcMRI)技术,观察中央沟附近脑肿瘤所致功能重组患者运动神经网络的改变,为理解肿瘤所致运动功能重组的机制提供新的实验依据.方法 采用1.5 T MR成像系统,对6名正常志愿者及14例功能MRI(fMRI)显示运动功能重组的中央沟附近脑肿瘤患者行fcMRI.分别得到以正常受试者左和右主运动(M1)区、脑肿瘤患者肿瘤侧半球和非肿瘤侧半球M1区为种子体素(兴趣区)的功能连接图.对与以上种子体素呈明显相关的功能连接区的位置、范围、体积进行评估.将所测数据进行t检验和单向方差分析.结果 fcMRI显示6名正常志愿者单侧M1区的功能连接脑区遍布于双侧大脑半球,包括双侧M1区、双侧辅助运动区(SMA)、双侧运动前区(PMC区)等与运动相关的皮层,左右对称分布.左M1区的功能连接区[(9514.17±186.92)mm3]与右M1区者[(9364.67±382.75)mm3]范围基本一致,二者在体积上差异无统计学意义(P>0.05);肿瘤组fcMRI显示:(1)与肿瘤侧M1区所连接脑区的体积[(11193.14±811.29)mm3]明显大于非肿瘤侧M1区的功能连接区[(6549.86±400.94)mm3](P<0.01).肿瘤组肿瘤侧M1区所连接的脑区与正常对照组单侧M1区的功能连接脑区差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),前者明显扩大(P<0.01),提示肿瘤侧M1区与其他运动相关脑区的功能连接增强.其连接脑区的范围与受累手对指运动时同层面fMRI显示的运动功能重组区范围基本一致.(2)肿瘤组非肿瘤侧M1区的功能连接区的体积与正常组比较,差异有统计学意义(P<0.01),前者有减少的趋势(P<0.01),特别是肿瘤侧半球内,提示非肿瘤侧M1区与对侧半球的功能连接破坏.结论 肿瘤组患者肿瘤侧M1区功能连接区的增多提示运动功能重组可能与运动功能传导路径重组或潜在运动路径补偿性开放有关.fcMRI是一种显示颅内肿瘤所致运动神经网络变化的有效手段.     

Optimized activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex for clinical functional MR imaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: One application of functional MR imaging is to identify the primary sensorimotor cortex (M1 and S1) around the central sulcus before brain surgery. However, it has been shown that undesirable coactivation of nonprimary motor areas, such as the supplementary motor area and the premotor area, can interfere with the identification of the primary motor cortex, especially in patients with distorted anatomic landmarks. We therefore sought to design a simple functional MR imaging paradigm for selective activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex. METHODS: Different paradigms using finger tapping for motor activation were examined and compared with respect to the distribution of activated voxels in primary and nonprimary cortical areas. Studies were conducted in 14 healthy volunteers using a blood oxygen level-dependent multislice echo-planar imaging sequence. RESULTS: The most selective activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex was obtained with a paradigm combining right-sided finger tapping as the activation condition with left-sided finger tapping as the control condition. Analysis of the signal time course of primary and nonprimary areas revealed that the highly selective primary motor activation was due to it being restricted to contralateral finger movements, as opposed to the nonprimary motor areas, which were activated by ipsilateral, contralateral, and bilateral finger movements alike. CONCLUSION: When performing functional MR imaging to determine the location of the primary sensorimotor cortex, one should compare unilateral voluntary movements as the activation condition with contralateral movements as the control condition to accentuate activation of the primary motor area and to suppress undesirable coactivation of nonprimary motor areas.     

Factors related to the magnitude of T2* MR signal changes during functional imaging

Our aim was to determine whether age, sex, the degree of weakness, anticonvulsants, the histology of the underlying lesion(s), the presence of oedema or the distance of the lesion from the motor region have an impact on the blood oxygenation level-dependent (BOLD) signal strength and therefore on the validity of functional MRI (fMRI). We studied 98 patients with masses near the central region imaged for surgical planning at 1.5 tesla, employing a BOLD sequence during a motor task. We calculated percentage signal change in the primary motor cortex between rest and activation and carried out multiple linear regression to examine the impact of the above factors on signal strength. Using a stepwise analysis strategy, the distance of the lesion from the motor region had the strongest influence (r=0.653, P<0.001). The factor with largest uncorrelated additional impact on signal change was the presence of oedema. Both predictors together formed a highly significant multiple r=0.739 ( P<0.001). No other predictive factor was identified (all P>0.20). Disturbances of cerebral blood flow and metabolism induced by the tumour were presumed to be the causes of a decrease in signal in the adjacent cortex.     

血氧水平依赖功能磁共振成像在累及运动区脑肿瘤中的应用

目的：功能磁共振成像对脑肿瘤术前评估具有重要意义,探讨血氧水平依赖功能磁共振成像（Bold-fMRI）在累及运动通路脑肿瘤中的应用价值。方法：对16例累及皮层运动区的脑肿瘤患者行fMRI检查,另以10例健康者作为对照,2例患者术后复查,fMRI采用双侧交替进行的大拇指对掌运动作为任务刺激。所有数据进行离线后处理,fMRI图像使用基于MATLAB平台下运行的SPM99软件进行处理,观察运动皮层区激活情况。结果：每个患者的健、患侧主运动区（M1）、辅助运动区（SMA）均激活,其中12例患侧M1区信号低于健侧,3例患侧M1区信号高于健侧,1例健侧与患侧M1区信号无明显差别,11例患侧M1区信号移位,8例患者患侧SMA区及健侧M1区的激活程度较健康人增强;2例患者复查显示患侧M1皮层激活范围较术前变小。结论：应用fMRI能显示肿瘤、皮层运动功能区之间的关系,对邻近脑运动功能区脑肿瘤患者术前评估具有重要意义。     

Presurgical evaluation of the motor hand area with functional MR imaging in patients with tumors and dysplastic lesions

PURPOSE: To test an optimized functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging procedure to depict the motor hand representation area (HRA) in patients with epilepsy lesions near the central sulcus. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Fast low-angle shot MR imaging was performed with an oblique single-section imaging technique in eight control subjects (10 hemispheres) and six patients (12 hemispheres). Three series of five activation images (obtained while subjects performed repetitive finger-to-thumb opposition movements) and five rest images were acquired. Each hemisphere was studied in three adjacent sections. Difference maps (obtained with simple subtraction between activation and rest images) were compared with t-test maps. RESULTS: In control subjects, the HRA was visible in 27 of 30 sections. Qualitatively, activation was seen better on t-test maps in 14 and on difference maps in four of these sections. In all patients, motor activation could be seen in the hemisphere that contained the lesion. This activation was considered normal in four patients. In two patients, the HRA was deformed. Functional MR imaging activation in the motor area was confirmed with Penfield stimulation in five patients. CONCLUSION: Functional MR imaging findings in the preoperative assessment of dysplastic lesions around the central sulcus are the same as for tumors. t-test maps are superior to difference maps in the treatment of motor functional MR imaging data.     

Motor functional MRI for pre-operative and intraoperative neurosurgical guidance

Functional MRI (fMRI) may provide a means of locating areas of eloquent cortex that can be used to guide neurosurgeons in their quest to maximize intracerebral tumour resection whilst minimizing post-procedural neurological deficits. This work aimed to develop and provide an initial assessment of such a technique. 19 patients with mass lesions close to the primary motor cortex underwent fMRI at 1.5T. A single shot echo planar technique was used to acquire data corresponding to right and left hand movement. Resultant activation maps were used to aid pre-surgical planning. Data was used in conjunction with an intraoperative navigation system in 13 cases. Activation was attributed to primary motor, primary somatosensory or supplementary motor cortex in 17 of 19 subjects. No permanent changes in motor deficit were detected post surgery. The additional information provided by fMRI, particularly when incorporated into a neuronavigation guided craniotomy, was deemed highly valuable to the neurosurgeon as it enabled safe resection of tumour in anatomical locations previously deemed to be too high risk for safe resection using conventional (non-fMRI-guided) technique. This observation is reinforced by the fact that no patients suffered permanent neurological deficit after radical tumour debulking (surgical estimates >90% tumour resection).     

BOLD signal in the motor cortex shows a correlation with the blood volume of brain tumors

PURPOSE: To investigate whether and how the blood-oxygenation-level-dependent (BOLD) functional MRI (fMRI) signal is modified by brain tumors. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The BOLD signal depends on the perfusion, which in turn may be affected in the presence of a tumor. Some studies have demonstrated a reduced BOLD signal in the tumor-bearing hemisphere. The BOLD signal variation in the motor cortex area was studied with finger tapping in a brain tumor group and a control group. An a priori volume-of-interest (VOI)-based method was applied that allows quantification of the mean BOLD signal amplitude and extent of activated volume. BOLD signal amplitude and activated volume were correlated with the extent of edema, a mass effect on the central sulcus, tumor volume, distance of tumor to somatosensory cortex, and tumor blood volume. RESULTS: In the tumor group the ipsilateral activated volume was reduced by 21% (P = 0.025) and the mean signal amplitude was reduced by 16% (P = 0.004). The mean BOLD signal amplitude shows a significant correlation with the total intratumoral blood volume (P = 0.014). CONCLUSION: We concluded that the peritumoral perfusion was reduced resulting due to a tumor aspirating perfusion (steal phenomenon).     

脑肿瘤患者术前手运动区的功能MRI

目的：探讨应用功能ＭＲＩ（ｆＭＲＩ）研究脑肿瘤患者手运动区（ＨＲＡ）的结构和功能变化特征。材料和方法：２２例位于或邻近实级运动皮质肿瘤患者采用单次激发ＧＲＥ－ＥＰＩ序列采集Ｔ＾＊２Ｗ图像,共３个周期即６个时相,每个周期包括手指对掌运动激发的１０幅活动图像和１０幅静止图像。经离线工作站重建获取减影后的差别图像,设定ＲＯＩ,描绘动态时间－信号强度曲线,测量信号强度（ＳＩ）上升百分率。结果：８例ＨＲＡ呈局限分布,１４例呈弥漫分布。肿瘤实体的边缘与ＨＲＡ活动中心的最短距离为０．３￣２．８ｃｍ。有５例患者在肿瘤内见到高信号区。肿瘤侧ＳＩ上升百分率为１．５％￣３％,正常侧ＳＩ上升百分率为２．５％￣１０％,结论：对位于或邻近初级运动皮质脑肿瘤患者,功能ＭＲＩ为术前手术计划的制定提供了一种非侵袭性而有效的方法。如果肿瘤实体的边     

Functional MRI during the execution of a motor task in patients with multiple sclerosis and fatigue

Purpose

This study was undertaken to assess cortical activation during execution of a motor task in patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) and fatigue.

Materials and methods

We enrolled 24 right-handed patients affected by relapsing-remitting MS and mild disability (12 with and 12 without fatigue) and 15 healthy volunteers. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) examination (1.5 T) was performed with conventional sequences and an echoplanar imaging (EPI) sequence for functional MRI (fMRI). The motor task consisted of sequential finger tapping performed with the right hand. Statistical maps of motor activation were obtained. Comparison between the two subgroups of patients and between patients and controls was performed with analysis of variance (ANOVA) statistical analysis (p<0.05).

Results

Compared with controls, patients without fatigue showed greater activation of the primary sensorimotor cortex bilaterally, of the right supplementary motor cortex, of the left premotor cortex, of the left cerebellum and of the superior parietal lobule bilaterally. Compared with patients without fatigue, patients with fatigue demonstrated greater activation of the right premotor area, of the putamen and the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex.

Conclusions

Patients with fatigue have greater activation of the motor-attentional network when performing a simple motor task.     

健康成人及脑肿瘤患者利手和非利手简单与复杂运动fMRI研究

目的:应用脑血氧水平依赖性功能MRI(BOLD-f MRI)研究健康成年人及脑肿瘤患者运动功能皮层定位并探讨其对脑肿瘤的临床应用价值。方法:10例健康志愿者和32例脑肿瘤患者(术前25例,术后7例)共42例受试者,行利手、非利手的单手握拳(简单运动)或单手对指(复杂运动)运动的脑BOLD-f MRI检查,分析脑肿瘤对运动皮层位置和功能的影响。结果:健康成人运动皮层主要位于对侧躯体感觉运动皮层(SMC),单或双侧辅助运动区(SMA)、运动前区(PMA)和双侧小脑半球。复杂运动或非利手运动时脑功能激活区范围和程度较简单运动或利手运动时增多。累及功能皮层的脑肿瘤患者,可见患侧部分脑功能区激活,但激活区移位、分布弥散。术后脑肿瘤患者功能皮层的位置基本恢复正常。结论:BOLD-f MRI是一种有效而无创的脑功能皮层定位方法,有利于脑肿瘤的精确定位诊断并指导临床治疗。     

Cortical mapping by functional magnetic resonance imaging in patients with brain tumors

The aim of our study was to establish the effectiveness of the functional MRI (fMRI) technique in comparison with intraoperative cortical stimulation (ICS) in planning cortex-saving neurosurgical interventions. The combination of sensory and motor stimulation during fMRI experiments was used to improve the exactness of central sulcus localization. The study subjects were 30 volunteers and 33 patients with brain tumors in the rolandic area. Detailed topographical relations of activated areas in fMRI and intraoperative techniques were compared. The agreement in the location defined by the two methods for motor centers was found to be 84%; for sensory centers it was 83%. When both kinds of activation are taken into account this agreement increases to 98%. A significant relation was found between fMRI and ICS for the agreement of the distance both for motor and sensory centers (p=0.0021–0.0024). Also a strong dependence was found between the agreement of the location and the agreement of the distance for both kinds of stimulation. The spatial correlation between fMRI and ICS methods for the sensorimotor cortex is very high. fMRI combining functional and structural information is very helpful for preoperative neurosurgical planning. The sensitivity of the fMRI technique in brain mapping increases when using both motor and sensory paradigms in the same patient.     

Morphometric analysis of cortical sulci using parametric ribbons: a study of the central sulcus

Interhemispheric and gender differences of the central sulcus were examined via a parametric ribbon approach. The central sulcus was found to be deeper and larger in the right nondominant hemisphere than in the left dominant hemisphere, both in males and in females. Based on its pattern, that asymmetry could be attributed to increased connectivity between motor and somatosensory cortex, facilitating fine movement, which could constrain the in-depth growth of the central sulcus. Position asymmetries were also found, which might be explained by a relative larger parietal association cortex in men but not in women.     

Preoperative mapping of cortical motor function: prospective comparison of functional magnetic resonance imaging and [15O]-H2O-positron emission tomography in the same co-ordinate system

BACKGROUND: Two of the most widely accepted approaches to map eloquent cortical areas preoperatively are positron emission tomography (PET) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). As yet, no study has compared these two modalities within the same frame of reference in tumour patients. AIM: We employed [15O]-H2O-PET and fMRI in patients undergoing presurgical evaluation and compared the results with those obtained by direct electrical cortical stimulation (DECS). METHODS: Twenty-five patients with tumours of different aetiology near the central region were investigated. fMRI and PET were processed using the same methods, i.e. statistical parametric mapping (SPM) without anatomical normalization, and transformed into the same frame of reference. RESULTS: fMRI activity was found in more cranial and lateral sections, i.e. closer to the brain surface, in comparison with PET, which demonstrated parenchymal activation. The mean localization difference between fMRI and PET was 8.1 +/- 4.6 mm (range, 2-18 mm). fMRI and [15O]-H2O-PET could reliably identify the central sulcus, as demonstrated by DECS. CONCLUSIONS: fMRI and [15O]-H2O-PET demonstrate comparable results and are sensitive and reliable tools to map the central region, especially in cases of infiltrating brain tumours. However, fMRI is more prone to artefacts, such as the visualization of draining veins, which may explain the more cranial and lateral activation visualized by fMRI, whereas PET depicts capillary perfusion changes and therefore shows activation closer to the parenchyma.     

功能磁共振成像在脑膜瘤患者运动功能区的应用

目的：探讨血氧水平依赖功能磁共振技术(BOLD-fMRI)在脑膜瘤患者运动功能区术前定位的价值。方法收集10例经术后病理证实的靠近运动区的大脑凸面脑膜瘤患者,采用概率独立成分分析(PICA),进行 ICA 分析。术前术后行远期生活质量评估(KPS)生活状态评分来评价患者的状态。结果双侧主要运动皮层及辅助运动皮层均出现运动功能激活簇,其中患侧激活区与对侧激活区相比较为对称的有6例,出现明显推压移位的有4例,患者运动功能激活区均被肿瘤挤压导致功能区向前或向后移位,并且出现拉伸变形。结论 BOLD-fMRI 能够有效对脑肿瘤患者进行术前运动功能区定位,对脑膜瘤患者术前手术计划的制定能够提供帮助。     

HIV相关脑痴呆BOLD fMRI运动功能成像

目的:应用功能磁共振成像(fMRI)研究正常健康受试者及HIV相关脑痴呆患者的右手运动功能区并且探讨其应用价值.方法:10例HIV相关脑痴呆患者和8例健康受试者,设计右手相关运动功能实验,采取右手抓握运动方法,结合患者情况分析早期认知运动功能损伤的皮质位置区域和激活情况.结果:正常健康受试者右手运动功能区多位于左侧(对...     

Comparison of functional MR imaging guidance to electrical cortical mapping for targeting selective motor cortex areas in neuropathic pain: a study based on intraoperative stereotactic navigation

PURPOSE: To assess the concordance between data from functional MR imaging (fMRI) guidance and the intraoperative electrical cortical mapping (iCM) in targeting selective motor cortex areas in refractory neuropathic pain. METHODS: Twenty-one patients (11 women and 10 men; mean age, 55.6 years) with refractory central (ischemic, 8 cases) and neuropathic pain (trigeminal neuropathy, 6 cases; syrinx/amputation/plexus trauma, 7 cases) underwent surgery for the implantation of an epidural electrode for chronic motor cortex stimulation (MCS) with general anesthesia and a frameless neuronavigation system used for the image-guided targeting procedure. All patients were studied by preoperative fMRI and epidural iCM with somatosensory evoked potentials and motor cortex stimulodetection. fMRI investigated systematically motor tasks of both hands and that related to the somatic area (foot or tongue) affected by pain. fMRI data were analyzed with the Statistical Parametric Mapping99 software (initial analysis threshold [AT] corresponding to P < .001), registered in the neuronavigation system and correlated intraoperatively with iCM. Matching of fMRI and iCM was specifically examined, focusing the study on hand mapping. RESULTS: Concordance between contours of fMRI activation area and iCM in precentral gyrus (mean distance, 3.8 mm) was found in 20/21 patients (95%). Because precision of iCM was suboptimal in 7 patients, concordance for more restrictive values of the AT (P < .0001) was found in only 13 of these 20 patients. Concordance was not found in one patient, as result of image distortion and residual motion artifact. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, fMRI guidance provides information that matches those of an independent functional method. These data illustrate the functional accuracy of fMRI guidance for the operative targeting of selective motor cortex areas in neuropathic pain.     

Whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging of cerebral arteriovenous malformations involving the motor pathways

To investigate cortical, basal ganglia and cerebellar activation in patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) involving the motor pathways, we studied ten patients (six male, four female, mean age 30.3 years, range 7.4-44.1) by whole-brain functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in a 1.5-T scanner with the EPI-BOLD-technique. In seven cases multiple fMRI studies were available, acquired in the course of the multi-session endovascular interventional treatment. Self-paced right- and left-handed finger-tapping tasks were used to invoke activation. In six patients a super-selective amytal test (Wada test) was performed during diagnostic pre-interventional angiography studies. Abnormal cortical activation patterns, with activation of the primary sensorimotor area, the supplementary motor area and/or the cerebellum shifted to unphysiological locations, were found in four patients. In all cases, localization of the AVM could account for the changes from the normal. After endovascular procedures, fMRI demonstrated shifts in the activation pattern in three patients. In the six patients that had undergone fMRI studies and the Wada test, both methods yielded comparable results. The fact that AVMs are structural anomalies for which the brain can partly compensate ('plasticity') was underlined by these results. fMRI is a valuable tool in the pre-therapeutic evaluation and post-interventional follow-up of patients with cerebral AVMs in whom an operation or an endovascular procedure is planned.