Contralesional Cortical and Network Features Associated with Preoperative Language Deficit in Glioma Patients

Abstract

Lower-grade Gliomas anchored in eloquent areas cause varying degrees of language impairment. Except for a tumor’s features, contralesional compensation may explain these differences. Therefore, studying changes in the contralateral hemisphere can provide insights into the underlying mechanisms of language function compensation in patients with gliomas. This study included 60 patients with eloquent-area or near-eloquent-area gliomas. The participants were grouped according to the degree of language defect. T1 and diffusion tensor imaging were obtained. The contralesional cortical volume and the subcortical network were compared between groups. Patients with unimpaired language function showed elevated cortical volume in the midline areas of the frontal and temporal lobes. In subcortical networks, the group also had the highest global efficiency and shortest global path length. Ten nodes had intergroup differences in nodal efficiency, among which four nodes were in the motor area and four nodes were in the language area. Linear correlation was observed between the efficiency of the two nodes and the patient’s language function score. Functional compensation in the contralesional hemisphere may alleviate language deficits in patients with gliomas. Structural compensation mainly occurs in the contralesional midline area in the frontal and temporal lobes, and manifests as an increase in cortical volume and subcortical network efficiency.

Application value of intraoperative electrophysiological monitoring in cerebral eloquent area glioma surgery: a retrospective cohort study

“…Gliomas that infiltrate eloquent areas and subcortical fibres can damage the corresponding cortical or subcortical structures, leading to neurological dysfunction [ 17 ]. Many studies have shown that EOR is an important prognostic factor for glioma patients [ 18 ], and gross total resection (GTR) can prolong survival and delay recurrence [ 19 , 20 ].…”

Multiparametric mapping of white matter reorganizations in patients with frontal glioma‐related epilepsy

“…Moreover, compared to the WM alternations in the ipsilateral hemisphere, based on the theory of neuroplasticity, the contralateral hemisphere may show reorganization and striking reconfigurations of WM architecture and network. 21 , 22 In this context, multiparametric mapping of WM alternations, especially subtle changes in the contralateral WM, is crucial for in‐depth investigation of the pathophysiological mechanisms of GRE.…”