Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2021 Aug 16;89(3):331-342.
doi: 10.1093/neuros/nyaa436.

A Review of Cortical and Subcortical Stimulation Mapping for Language

Jacob S Young, Anthony T Lee  1 , Edward F Chang  1
Affiliations
Review

A Review of Cortical and Subcortical Stimulation Mapping for Language

Jacob S Young et al. Neurosurgery. .

Abstract

Since the early descriptions of language function based on observations of patients with language deficits by Broca and Wernicke, neurosurgeons have been focused on characterizing the anatomic regions necessary for language perception and production, and preserving these structures during surgery to minimize patient deficits post operatively. In this supplementary issue on awake intraoperative mapping, we review language processing across multiple domains, highlighting key advances in direct electrical stimulation of different cortical and subcortical regions involved in naming, repetition, reading, writing, and syntax. We then discuss different intraoperative tasks for assessing the function of a given area and avoiding injury to critical, eloquent regions.

PubMed Disclaimer

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.
Naming. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in naming, typically tested with a PN task.
Figure 2.
Figure 2.
Word/sentence repetition. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in word/sentence repetition, typically tested with word and pseudoword repetition.
Figure 3.
Figure 3.
Phonological reading. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in phonological reading, typically tested by reading pseudowords.
Figure 4.
Figure 4.
Lexically semantic reading. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in lexical-semantic reading, typically tested by reading irregular words.
Figure 5.
Figure 5.
Syntax. A, Frontal and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in syntax, typically tested by sentence generation/completion tasks.
Figure 6.
Figure 6.
Writing. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in writing.
Figure 7.
Figure 7.
Motor. A, Top down and B, lateral projections of the WM tracts and cortical regions involved in motor mapping.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

    1. Penfield W, Roberts L.. Speech and Brain Mechanisms. Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press; 1959.
    1. Ojemann G, Ojemann J, Lettich E, Berger M. Cortical language localization in left, dominant hemisphere. An electrical stimulation mapping investigation in 117 patients. J Neurosurg. 1989;71(3):316-326. - PubMed
    1. Snodgrass JG, Vanderwart M.. A standardized set of 260 pictures: norms for name agreement, image agreement, familiarity, and visual complexity. J Exp Psychol Hum Learn. 1980;6(2):174-215. - PubMed
    1. Ojemann G, Mateer C.. Human language cortex: localization of memory, syntax, and sequential motor-phoneme identification systems. Science. 1979;205(4413):1401-1403. - PubMed
    1. Sanai N, Mirzadeh Z, Berger MS. Functional outcome after language mapping for glioma resection. N Engl J Med. 2008;358(1):18-27. - PubMed

Publication types