Application of Resting State Functional MR Imaging to Presurgical Mapping: Language Mapping

Resting state functional MR imaging (rs-fMR imaging) has become an indispensable tool for examining brain function. The greatest opportunity to translate rs-fMR imaging from the research domain into clinical use is as a tool for examining intrinsic brain networks for preoperative planning. Many studies have demonstrated concordance of intrinsic motor networks from rs-fMR imaging data with task-fMR imaging and direct cortical stimulation. Earlier reports show concordance of language networks as well, although more recent studies with larger numbers of subjects demonstrate subject-level variability that needs to be further investigated and addressed before widespread implementation of rs-fMR imaging for preoperative planning.