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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jul 1, 2026

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Functional Mapping with Simultaneous MEG and EEG

Published on: June 15, 2010

Location of the sensorimotor cortex: functional and conventional MR compared

F Z Yetkin¹, R A Papke, L P Mark

¹Department of Radiology, Medical College of Wisconsin, Milwaukee 53226, USA.

AJNR. American Journal of Neuroradiology

|November 1, 1995

Summary

Functional MR imaging aids in locating the sensorimotor cortex when anatomic landmarks are unclear. This technique supplements conventional MR imaging for brain lesion proximity assessment.

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Area of Science:

Neuroimaging
Radiology
Neuroscience

Background:

Conventional MR imaging relies on anatomic landmarks to identify brain structures.
Locating the rolandic cortex (sensorimotor cortex) is crucial for neurosurgical planning.
Anatomic landmarks can be distorted by brain lesions, complicating localization.

Purpose of the Study:

To evaluate the utility of functional MR imaging (fMRI) in supplementing conventional MR imaging for rolandic cortex localization.
To compare the accuracy of fMRI-derived sensorimotor cortex location with conventional anatomic methods.

Main Methods:

Review of parasagittal MR and functional MR images.
Identification of the central sulcus using conventional parcellation.
Localization of the sensorimotor cortex via activation patterns from motor or tactile tasks on fMRI.
Comparison of central sulcus and activated cortex locations.

Main Results:

In 18 of 23 studies, anatomic and functional localization of the rolandic cortex agreed.
fMRI successfully located the rolandic cortex in two tumor cases where anatomic landmarks were distorted.
In two cases, anatomic landmarks did not align with the activated sensorimotor cortex.

Conclusions:

Functional MR imaging effectively supplements conventional MR imaging for sensorimotor cortex localization.
fMRI is a valuable tool for noninvasively assessing the proximity of eloquent brain areas to focal lesions.