Is Functional MR Imaging Assessment of Hemispheric Language Dominance as Good as the Wada Test?: A Meta-Analysis

Abstract

Functional MR imaging provides an excellent, noninvasive alternative for language lateralization and should be considered for the initial preoperative assessment of hemispheric language dominance. Further research may help determine which functional MR methods are most accurate for specific patient populations.

Application of a Computerized Language Lateralization Index from fMRI by a Group of Clinical Neuroradiologists

“…The sensitivity of fMRI lateralization to the left hemisphere compares well with other studies; for example, a recent metaanalysis 13 of 23 studies showed the sensitivity for detection of left dominance to be 88.1% (95% confidence interval, 87.0 -89.2%). However, the authors showed the sensitivity for nonleft dominance to be 83.5% (95% confidence interval, 80.2%-86.7%), which is substantially higher than our value of 69%.…”

Clinical Standardized fMRI Reveals Altered Language Lateralization in Patients with Brain Tumor

“…1 The same holds true for determining the language-dominant hemisphere before neurosurgery. 2 BOLD fMRI is a valuable neuroimaging tool for assessing language functions noninvasively, namely, for localizing essential language areas and thereby assessing their spatial relationship to brain tumors, and for determining the languagedominant hemisphere, by analyzing language lateralization. [3][4][5][6][7][8] fMRI language lateralization also has the potential to allow for the study of brain plasticity in different pathologic states, such as epilepsy and stroke.…”

Functional MRI language mapping in pre-surgical epilepsy patients: Findings from a series of patients in the Epilepsy Unit at Mediclinic Constantiaberg

“…[5][6][7] In a meta-analysis of 23 studies including 442 epilepsy patients, the sensitivity and specificity of fMRI for atypical language dominance, compared with the Wada test, were 83.5% and 88% respectively. [8] The task of localising cortical areas critical to language is more challenging. Electrocortical stimulation (ECS) remains the most reliable technique, even with the advancements in fMRI.…”