Essential language function of the right hemisphere in brain tumor patients

Ann Neurol. 2005 Jan;57(1):128-31. doi: 10.1002/ana.20342.

Abstract

Neuroimaging studies of language networks in patients with brain lesions of the left language-dominant hemisphere have shown activation in the right inferior frontal gyrus (IFG). We tested the functional relevance of right IFG activation using neuroimaging-guided repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) to disturb language function over bilateral IFG in right-handed patients with brain tumors and controls. All subjects were susceptible to TMS over the left IFG. In patients, this susceptibility correlated with left-sided the degree of language lateralization to the left. Those patients with lowest dominance were also susceptible to right-sided TMS proving relevant language function of the right IFG.

Publication types

  • Comparative Study
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Brain Mapping
  • Brain Neoplasms / physiopathology*
  • Dominance, Cerebral / physiology*
  • Electric Stimulation / methods
  • Female
  • Frontal Lobe / physiopathology*
  • Frontal Lobe / radiation effects
  • Humans
  • Language*
  • Magnetics
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Reaction Time / radiation effects
  • Verbal Behavior / physiology*
  • Verbal Behavior / radiation effects