Mapping Functional Language Areas with non-Functional Brain MRI

Omri Leshem, Atira Sara Bick, Nahum Kiryati, Netta Levin, Arnaldo Mayer

Keywords: Deep Learning, Multi-modal, fMRI, Brain Mapping, Neurosurgical Planning

Abstract: Mapping eloquent brain areas has become a standard of care in brain surgery. Current imaging-based techniques usually rely on functional MRI (fMRI), which measures neural activity via the blood oxygenation level-dependent signal. fMRI protocols are time-intensive, require active patient collaboration, and involve laborious manual post-processing and expertise, making them difficult to implement in some clinical scenarios. In this research, we propose a fully automated deep neural pipeline for the mapping of Broca and Wernicke functional language areas using multiple non-functional MRI modalities. The proposed method is evaluated on a cohort of 30 drug-resistant epilepsy patients, showing encouraging qualitative and quantitative results and suggesting its potential applicability as an effective and practical tool for neurosurgical planning and navigation.

Primary Subject Area: Application: Neuroimaging

Secondary Subject Area: Application: Radiology

Paper Type: Both

Registration Requirement: Yes

Visa & Travel: Yes

Submission Number: 102