Assessment of multiple task activation and reproducibility in patients with benign and low-grade neoplasm

Twenty-four patients with proven benign and low-grade brain neoplasms each performed two iterations of four fMRI paradigms: language (word generation), primary and association auditory (text listening), upper limb fine motor control (alternating-limb bilateral finger tapping), and primary visual perception (reversing checkerboard). Activation clusters with varying thresholds were generated for each scan and used to calculate reproducibility parameters: Difference in the Center of Mass (COM) location, R(size), and R(overlap). The average difference in the COM, R(size), and R(overlap) values ranged from 1.70 +/- 0.53 mm -10.60 +/- 3.21 mm, 0.6 +/- 0.04-0.90 +/- 0.05 and 0.23 +/- 0.12 -1 +/- 0.16 respectively for all tasks. These values are within the range of, or higher than, previously published reports on fMRI test-retest precision. FMRI is indicated to be a noninvasive tool with acceptable reproducibility measures for assessing the localizations of multiple language and sensorimotor functions in patients scheduled for radiotherapy treatment.