Neural mechanisms of language disorders in patients with a glioma: Evidence from a neuroimaging study

2016 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 26870582
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Young Scientists (B)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Neurosurgery; Basic / Social brain science
• Research Institution: Showa University
• Principal Investigator: KINNO RYUTA 昭和大学, 医学部, 講師 (70439397)
• Project Period (FY): 2014-04-01 – 2017-03-31
• Keywords: 失語症 / 統語処理 / 神経膠腫 / 神経心理学 / 脳科学 / 機能連関 / 統語理解障害

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Linguistic information is processed at distinct levels from words to sentences and discourses. We have used functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and shown that the left inferior frontal gyrus (L. IFG) and the left lateral premotor cortex (L. LPMC) are critically involved in syntactic processing. Moreover, we have demonstrated that a glioma in the L. IFG or L. LPMC is sufficient to cause asyntactic comprehension. Detailed analyses of abnormal activation patterns in the patients with asyntactic comprehension revealed three syntax-related networks. In addition, these analyses clarified that asyntactic comprehension are associated with the global reorganization of functionally distinct networks, differentially contributed to syntax-related functions. These results suggest the importance of the neural networks for syntactic processing.

Free Research Field

脳科学、神経心理学、失語症学