Comparing language lateralization determined by dichotic listening and fMRI activation in frontal and temporal lobes in children with epilepsy

We investigated the relationship between ear advantage scores on the Fused Dichotic Words Test (FDWT), and laterality of activation in fMRI using a verb generation paradigm in fourteen children with epilepsy. The magnitude of the laterality index (LI), based on spatial extent and magnitude of activation in classical language areas (BA 44/45, 21/22, 39) differed significantly for patients classified with unilateral left, compared to bilateral, language representation based on FDWT scores. Concordance with fMRI was higher for those classified with unilateral left, than bilateral language representation on the FDWT. Of note, asymmetry in temporal lobe, rather than frontal lobe, activation was more strongly related to the LI from the dichotic listening test. This study shows that the FDWT can provide a quick and valid estimate of lateralization in pre-surgical candidates, which can be readily adopted for other clinical or research purposes when an estimate of language dominance is desired.

[1]  Robert J. Zatorre,et al.  Perceptual asymmetry on the dichotic fused words test and cerebral speech lateralization determined by the carotid sodium amytal test , 1989, Neuropsychologia.

[2]  D. Gadian,et al.  Language reorganization in children with early-onset lesions of the left hemisphere: an fMRI study. , 2004, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[3]  W D Gaillard,et al.  fMRI identifies regional specialization of neural networks for reading in young children , 2003, Neurology.

[4]  L. Katz,et al.  Sex differences in the functional organization of the brain for language , 1995, Nature.

[5]  J. A. Frost,et al.  Determination of language dominance using functional MRI , 1996, Neurology.

[6]  Stephen M. Rao,et al.  Human Brain Language Areas Identified by Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging , 1997, The Journal of Neuroscience.

[7]  A. Papanicolaou,et al.  Reliability and Validity of Functional Neuroimaging Techniques for Identifying Language-Critical Areas in Children and Adults , 2004, Developmental neuropsychology.

[8]  O. Spreen,et al.  A Compendium of Neuropsychological Tests: Administration, Norms, and Commentary , 1991 .

[9]  C B Dodrill,et al.  Brain injury, handedness, and speech lateralization in a series of amobarbital studies , 1988, Annals of neurology.

[10]  D. Le Bihan,et al.  Noninvasive assessment of language dominance in children and adolescents with functional MRI , 1997, Neurology.

[11]  N. Geschwind,et al.  Human Brain: Left-Right Asymmetries in Temporal Speech Region , 1968, Science.

[12]  Terry Halwes,et al.  Increasing the power of dichotic methods: The fused rhymed words test , 1983, Neuropsychologia.

[13]  M. Rosenzweig.  Representations of the two ears at the auditory cortex. , 1951, The American journal of physiology.

[14]  D. Kimura.  Functional Asymmetry of the Brain in Dichotic Listening , 1967 .

[15]  George Zouridakis,et al.  Magnetoencephalographic mapping of the language-specific cortex , 1999 .

[16]  L. Jäncke,et al.  Does dichotic listening probe temporal lobe functions? , 2002, Neurology.

[17]  L. Jäncke,et al.  Auditory lateralization and planum temporale asymmetry. , 1993, Neuroreport.

[18]  Stefan Knecht,et al.  How atypical is atypical language dominance? , 2003, NeuroImage.

[19]  J. Mazziotta,et al.  MRI‐PET Registration with Automated Algorithm , 1993, Journal of computer assisted tomography.

[20]  D KIMURA,et al.  Some effects of temporal-lobe damage on auditory perception. , 1961, Canadian journal of psychology.

[21]  D. LeBihan,et al.  Functional anatomy of cognitive development , 2000, Neurology.

[22]  Angela D. Friederici,et al.  Non-invasive regime for language lateralization in right and left-handers by means of functional MRI and dichotic listening , 2002, Experimental Brain Research.

[23]  D Le Bihan,et al.  Functional MR evaluation of temporal and frontal language dominance compared with the Wada test , 2000, Neurology.

[24]  E. T. Possing,et al.  Language lateralization in left-handed and ambidextrous people: fMRI data , 2002, Neurology.

[25]  J. Pujol,et al.  Cerebral lateralization of language in normal left-handed people studied by functional MRI , 1999, Neurology.

[26]  D J Mikulis,et al.  Functional MRI of phonological and semantic processing in temporal lobe epilepsy. , 2001, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[27]  A. Thiel,et al.  Individual Functional Anatomy of Verb Generation , 1996, NeuroImage.

[28]  P Baras,et al.  Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) during a language comprehension task , 2003, Journal of Neurolinguistics.

[29]  T. Rasmussen,et al.  INTRACAROTID INJECTION OF SODIUM AMYTAL FOR THE LATERALIZATION OF CEREBRAL SPEECH DOMINANCE EXPERIMENTAL AND CLINICAL OBSERVATIONS , 1960 .

[30]  M. Torrens.  Co-Planar Stereotaxic Atlas of the Human Brain—3-Dimensional Proportional System: An Approach to Cerebral Imaging, J. Talairach, P. Tournoux. Georg Thieme Verlag, New York (1988), 122 pp., 130 figs. DM 268 , 1990 .

[31]  K. Hugdahl,et al.  Dichotic listening performance and frontal lobe function. , 2003, Brain research. Cognitive brain research.

[32]  F. Vargha-Khadem,et al.  Development of intelligence and memory in children with hemiplegic cerebral palsy. The deleterious consequences of early seizures. , 1992, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[33]  J. B. Demb,et al.  Functional MRI measurement of language lateralization in Wada-tested patients. , 1995, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[34]  S. Sato,et al.  Language dominance in partial epilepsy patients identified with an fMRI reading task , 2002, Neurology.

[35]  A Jesmanowicz,et al.  Lateralized human brain language systems demonstrated by task subtraction functional magnetic resonance imaging. , 1995, Archives of neurology.

[36]  S. Petersen,et al.  Developmental changes in human cerebral functional organization for word generation. , 2005, Cerebral cortex.

[37]  J. Petrella,et al.  Developmental aspects of language processing: fMRI of verbal fluency in children and adults , 2003, Human brain mapping.

[38]  R W Cox,et al.  Language processing is strongly left lateralized in both sexes. Evidence from functional MRI. , 1999, Brain : a journal of neurology.

[39]  J. A. Frost,et al.  Language dominance in neurologically normal and epilepsy subjects , 1999 .

[40]  D. Blacker,et al.  A functional MRI protocol for localizing language comprehension in the human brain. , 2003, Brain research. Brain research protocols.

[41]  M. Smith,et al.  Comparing the Fused Dichotic Words Test and the Intracarotid Amobarbital Procedure in children with epilepsy , 2000, Neuropsychologia.

[42]  T. L. Davis,et al.  Language dominance determined by whole brain functional MRI in patients with brain lesions , 1999, Neurology.

[43]  D. Le Bihan,et al.  Functional MRI during word generation, using conventional equipment , 1995, Neurology.