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. 2020 Jul;62(7):843-849.
doi: 10.1007/s00234-020-02407-x. Epub 2020 Apr 6.

Cortical presentation of language functions in patients after total laryngectomy: a fMRI study

Aleksandra Wypych  1 , Małgorzata Wierzchowska  2 , Paweł Burduk  2 , Elżbieta Zawada  3   4 , Katarzyna Nadolska  3 , Zbigniew Serafin  5
Affiliations

Cortical presentation of language functions in patients after total laryngectomy: a fMRI study

Aleksandra Wypych et al. Neuroradiology. 2020 Jul.

Abstract

Purpose: The aim of this study is to use functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) to analyse the cortical presentation of selected language functions in patients after a total laryngectomy.

Methods: Eighteen patients after total laryngectomy treated with electrolarynx speech and 18 volunteers were included. The mean number of patients' post-operative speech rehabilitation sessions was five (range of 3-8 sessions). Four paradigms were used, including noun generation, pseudoword reading, reading phrases with pseudowords, and nonliteral sign reproduction.

Results: In noun, the most significant difference between the groups was the stronger activation of both lingual gyri in the volunteers. Pseudoword reading resulted in stronger activations in patients than in volunteers in the lingual gyri, the right cerebellum, the right Broca's area, and the right parietal operculum. Reading phrases with pseudowords involved different parts of the Brodmann area 40. During nonliteral sign reproduction, there was a stronger activation of the left Broca's area in volunteers and a stronger activation of the left premotor cortex in patients.

Conclusion: This study provides evidence of altered cortical activation in response to language tasks in patients after a laryngectomy compared with healthy volunteers, which may be considered brain plasticity in response to a laryngectomy.

Keywords: Gray matter; Laryngectomy; Magnetic resonance imaging.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare that they have no conflict of interest.

Figures

Fig. 1
Fig. 1
Graphical presentation of the brain areas that were significantly stronger activated in laryngectomy patients than in healthy volunteers in response to task 3
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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