Naming and the Role of the Uncinate Fasciculus in Language Function

Papagno, Costanza

doi:10.1007/s11910-011-0219-6

Cited by 74 publications

(49 citation statements)

References 45 publications

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“…The empirical validity of this proposal needs to be qualified, however, by the observation that the UF has been linked to language functions (naming) only in a small number of studies [66, 67]. Others have found that resection of the UF has limited effects on the long-term language functions, such as sentence processing (e.g., [68]) and semantic processing (e.g., [69]).…”

Section: Models Of Functional Neuroanatomy Of Language: From Lesiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain and Language: Evidence for Neural Multifunctionality

Cahana-Amitay

Albert

2014

Behavioural Neurology

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This review paper presents converging evidence from studies of brain damage and longitudinal studies of language in aging which supports the following thesis: the neural basis of language can best be understood by the concept of neural multifunctionality. In this paper the term “neural multifunctionality” refers to incorporation of nonlinguistic functions into language models of the intact brain, reflecting a multifunctional perspective whereby a constant and dynamic interaction exists among neural networks subserving cognitive, affective, and praxic functions with neural networks specialized for lexical retrieval, sentence comprehension, and discourse processing, giving rise to language as we know it. By way of example, we consider effects of executive system functions on aspects of semantic processing among persons with and without aphasia, as well as the interaction of executive and language functions among older adults. We conclude by indicating how this multifunctional view of brain-language relations extends to the realm of language recovery from aphasia, where evidence of the influence of nonlinguistic factors on the reshaping of neural circuitry for aphasia rehabilitation is clearly emerging.

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Section: Models Of Functional Neuroanatomy Of Language: From Lesiomentioning

confidence: 99%

Brain and Language: Evidence for Neural Multifunctionality

Cahana-Amitay

Albert

2014

Behavioural Neurology

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“…15 Interruption of white matter connections has been associated with language impairments. For example, surgical resection of the left uncinate fasciculus has resulted in impaired naming and verbal fluency, 16 and isolated damage to the corpus callosum within callosotomy patients can result in a naming impairment. 17 Studies of traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients have shown that white matter pathways are susceptible to damage from head trauma.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

“…27,28 The degree of directionality of water diffusion is quantified as a scalar value, fractional anisotropy (FA), that distinguishes between abnormal and healthy white matter based on the cylindrical patterns of the diffusion. White matter pathway disruption as assessed by FA has been correlated with performance on some neuropsychological tasks, 16,29,30 including naming performance. 31 Professional football players who experienced subconcussive head impacts 32,33 may be susceptible to increased risk for progressive cognitive decline and affective disorders 34,35 with aging.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

White Matter Changes and Confrontation Naming in Retired Aging National Football League Athletes

Strain

Didehbani

Spence

et al. 2017

Journal of Neurotrauma

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Using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), we assessed the relationship of white matter integrity and performance on the Boston Naming Test (BNT) in a group of retired professional football players and a control group. We examined correlations between fractional anisotropy (FA) and mean diffusivity (MD) with BNT T-scores in an unbiased voxelwise analysis processed with tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS). We also analyzed the DTI data by grouping voxels together as white matter tracts and testing each tract's association with BNT T-scores. Significant voxelwise correlations between FA and BNT performance were only seen in the retired football players ( p < 0.02). Two tracts had mean FA values that significantly correlated with BNT performance: forceps minor and forceps major. White matter integrity is important for distributed cognitive processes, and disruption correlates with diminished performance in athletes exposed to concussive and subconcussive brain injuries, but not in controls without such exposure.

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“…Conversely, the ventral route is composed of a complex network of white matter fiber bundles, mainly consisting of the inferior longitudinal fasciculus (ILF), the inferior fronto-occipital fasciculus (IFOF) and the uncinate fasciculus (UF). These fiber bundles connect the frontal, temporal and occipital cortices (Papagno, 2011; Axer et al, 2013; Menjot de Champfleur et al, 2013; Chan-Seng et al, 2014; Motomura et al, 2014; Chang et al, 2015). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A Novel Technique for Region and Linguistic Specific nTMS-based DTI Fiber Tracking of Language Pathways in Brain Tumor Patients

et al. 2016

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Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has recently been introduced as a non-invasive tool for functional mapping of cortical language areas prior to surgery. It correlates well with intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM) findings, allowing defining the best surgical strategy to preserve cortical language areas during surgery for language-eloquent tumors. Nevertheless, nTMS allows only for cortical mapping and postoperative language deficits are often caused by injury to subcortical language pathways. Nowadays, the only way to preoperatively visualize language subcortical white matter tracts consists in DTI fiber tracking (DTI-FT). However, standard DTI-FT is based on anatomical landmarks that vary interindividually and can be obscured by the presence of the tumor itself. It has been demonstrated that combining nTMS with DTI-FT allows for a more reliable visualization of the motor pathway in brain tumor patients. Nevertheless, no description about such a combination has been reported for the language network. The aim of the present study is to describe and assess the feasibility and reliability of using cortical seeding areas defined by error type-specific nTMS language mapping (nTMS-positive spots) to perform DTI-FT in patients affected by language-eloquent brain tumors. We describe a novel technique for a nTMS-based DTI-FT to visualize the complex cortico-subcortical connections of the language network. We analyzed quantitative findings, such as fractional anisotropy values and ratios, and the number of visualized connections of nTMS-positive spots with subcortical pathways, and we compared them with results obtained by using the standard DTI-FT technique. We also analyzed the functional concordance between connected cortical nTMS-positive spots and subcortical pathways, and the likelihood of connection for nTMS-positive vs. nTMS-negative cortical spots. We demonstrated, that the nTMS-based approach, especially what we call the “single-spot” strategy, is able to provide a reliable and more detailed reconstruction of the complex cortico-subcortical language network as compared to the standard DTI-FT. We believe this technique represents a beneficial new strategy for customized preoperative planning in patients affected by tumors in presumed language eloquent location, providing anatomo-functional information to plan language-preserving surgery.

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Naming and the Role of the Uncinate Fasciculus in Language Function

Cited by 74 publications

References 45 publications

Brain and Language: Evidence for Neural Multifunctionality

Brain and Language: Evidence for Neural Multifunctionality

White Matter Changes and Confrontation Naming in Retired Aging National Football League Athletes

A Novel Technique for Region and Linguistic Specific nTMS-based DTI Fiber Tracking of Language Pathways in Brain Tumor Patients

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