Speech arrest with stimulation may not reliably predict language deficit after epilepsy surgery

• Published in: Neurology Vol. 66; no. 4; pp. 592 - 594
• Main Authors: SEECK, M, PEGNA, A. J, ORTIGUE, S, SPINELLI, L, DESSIBOURG, C. A, DELAVELLE, J, BLANKE, O, MICHEL, C. M, LANDIS, T, VILLEMURE, J.-G
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Hagerstown, MD Lippincott Williams & Wilkins 28-02-2006
• Subjects: Adult; Biological and medical sciences; Cerebral Ventricles - pathology; Degenerative and inherited degenerative diseases of the nervous system. Leukodystrophies. Prion diseases; Epilepsy - surgery; Female; Functional Laterality; Headache. Facial pains. Syncopes. Epilepsia. Intracranial hypertension. Brain oedema. Cerebral palsy; Humans; Language Disorders - etiology; Magnetic Resonance Imaging; Medical sciences; Nervous system (semeiology, syndromes); Neurology; Speech Disorders - physiopathology; Surgical Procedures, Operative - adverse effects; Communication disorder; Nervous system diseases; Surgery; Epilepsy; Central nervous system disease; Speech; Neurological disorder; Language disorder; Cerebral disorder
• ISSN: 0028-3878; 1526-632X
• DOI: 10.1212/01.wnl.0000199254.67398.a7

The authors present a patient in whom electrical cortical stimulation of the posterior temporal cortex induced speech arrest, comprehension deficits, and other language-related impairments. This area was ultimately resected because of persistence of a severe seizure disorder. No postoperative aphasia was observed despite the cortical stimulation results, and the patient is since seizure free. These findings question the well-established principle that corticography directly reflects local cortical functions in all patients.