Basic concepts of functional magnetic resonance imaging and arteriovenous malformations

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Neuroradiology
• Neuroimaging

Background:

• Cortical mapping is essential for patients with arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) near critical brain areas.
• Accurate identification of eloquent cortical regions is vital for surgical planning.

Purpose of the Study:

• To highlight the role of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in cortical mapping for AVM patients.
• To discuss the potential of fMRI as a routine pre-surgical tool.

Main Methods:

• Task-based functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) to identify primary cortical regions.
• Review of current postprocessing requirements and anticipated advancements.

Main Results:

• Task activation imaging effectively identifies primary cortical regions.
• Current fMRI methods necessitate significant postprocessing.

Conclusions:

• Functional MRI is a valuable tool for pre-operative assessment of AVMs near eloquent cortex.
• Future hardware and software improvements will likely establish fMRI as a standard pre-surgical examination for AVMs.