The broad, long-term objective of this project is to provide neurosurgeons with a more accurate and complete map of essential language sites in the cortex. This objective seeks to improve existing neurosurgical language mapping techniques by expanding the use of word-finding paradigms from visual naming alone to a combination of visual, auditory, and reading paradigms during intraoperative cortical stimulation with temporal lobe epilepsy patients. The project has two specific aims: Specific Aim #1: Develop and behaviorally test auditory object naming and sentence-completion paradigms in epilepsy patients and neurological normals. The central goal of this aim is to produce a large database of definitions (auditory naming) and sentence stems (sentence completion) that can be consistently named and provide baseline data for normal controls and epilepsy patient groups. Specific Aim #2: Determine regional distinctions in visual, auditory, and reading-based word-finding paradigms during cortical stimulation in temporal lobe epilepsy patients. The central goal of this aim is to identify and classify the localization of multi-modality word-finding paradigms in a relatively large group of temporal lobe epilepsy patients undergoing surgery in the dominant hemisphere. To achieve these aims, quantative measures of naming consistency will be generated and a large set of standardized stimuli will be available for use. Subsets of these stimuli will be assembled for individual epilepsy patients to ensure both task proficiency and balance in a variety of linguistic variables. Epilepsy patients will be mapped with cortical stimulation for visual, auditory, and reading paradigms. They will be tested pre- and post-operatively using standard language assessments to monitor changes (gains or deficits) in language performance as part of their standard clinical care. The relevance of this research to public health is to provide better assessment and identification of essential language areas in the brain. Sparing these language areas may lead to fewer post-operative language deficits and greater quality of life for temporal lobe epilepsy patients in the future.
NIH ExPorter
NIH ExPorter