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A speech fluency brain network derived from gliomas
Cechen Sun1, Jie Zhang2,3,4,5,6, Linghao Bu2,3,4,5,6
1Department of Biostatistics, School of Public Health & National Clinical Research Centre for Aging and Medicine, Huashan Hospital, Fudan University, Shanghai 200040, China.
Brain Communications
|May 17, 2024
Summary
This study mapped the brain network supporting speech fluency in patients with low-grade glioma. Damage to specific brain regions and white matter pathways significantly impacts speech fluency, revealing key areas for surgical consideration.
Area of Science:
- Neuroscience
- Neurosurgery
- Speech Pathology
Background:
- The neural network underlying speech fluency remains incompletely understood, particularly in large, homogenous patient cohorts.
- Previous research has not comprehensively investigated the brain's speech fluency network using multimodal imaging.
- Understanding this network is crucial for preserving language function during neurosurgical interventions.
Purpose of the Study:
- To explore and map the brain network essential for speech fluency.
- To identify specific brain regions and white matter tracts associated with speech fluency deficits.
- To investigate the connectivity patterns supporting fluent speech production.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of multimodal imaging data from 115 patients with low-grade glioma.
- Application of voxel-based lesion-symptom mapping (VLSM) to correlate brain damage with fluency.
- Intra-operative validation of critical regions using direct cortical stimulation and connectivity-behavior analysis.
Main Results:
- VLSM identified damage to the middle frontal gyrus, precentral gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, and insula as significantly associated with reduced speech fluency.
- Impairment of white matter pathways including the corticospinal fasciculus, internal capsule, arcuate fasciculus, uncinate fasciculus, and frontal aslant tract correlated with speech deficits.
- Connectivity analysis revealed significant correlations between specific neural connections and speech fluency, highlighting interactions between domain-specific and domain-general regions.
Conclusions:
- The study successfully mapped the brain network supporting speech fluency, involving both critical gray matter regions and white matter tracts.
- Findings demonstrate the collective role of interconnected brain regions, including frontal, temporal, and parietal areas, in maintaining fluent speech.
- This detailed network map provides a vital resource for neurosurgeons to minimize language dysfunction during glioma surgery.
