The Dutch Linguistic Intraoperative Protocol: a valid linguistic approach to awake brain surgery

Area of Science:

• Neuroscience
• Linguistics
• Neurosurgery

Background:

• Direct electrical stimulation (DES) is a common technique during surgeries in eloquent brain areas.
• While DES is believed to improve postoperative linguistic outcomes, standardized neurolinguistic methods for awake surgery are lacking.

Observation:

• The study introduced a novel, standardized Dutch Linguistic Intraoperative Protocol (DuLIP) test battery.
• This battery assesses phonology, semantics, and syntax to precisely identify critical language zones.
• A normative study was conducted on 250 healthy native Dutch speakers.

Findings:

• The Dutch Linguistic Intraoperative Protocol (DuLIP) was validated as a tool for pre-, intraoperative, and postoperative language assessment.
• The protocol demonstrated clinical utility through anatomo-functional models and case studies.
• DuLIP facilitates detailed intraoperative mapping of language regions, which can be variably located.

Implications:

• This research provides a crucial tool for neurosurgeons and neurolinguists operating in eloquent brain areas.
• The DuLIP test battery enhances the precision of language mapping during awake brain surgery.
• Accurate mapping of language zones can lead to improved patient outcomes and reduced postoperative deficits.