FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING OF LANGUAGE CORTEX

This review examines recent functional magnetic resonance imaging (FMR I) studies of language cortex. Included are activation studies involvi ng listening to speech, reading, word generation, semantic categorizat ion, and verbal working memory. Where possible we compared FMRI result s with similar data obtained using positron emission tomography. Sever al applications of language FMRI in neurologic patients are presented. Methodologic issues concerning task design are discussed from the per spective of cognitive neuroscience. These issues include the validity of ''covert'' responses, selection of control tasks, consideration of practice effects, and interpretation of ''rest'' conditions. FMRI has great potential to clarify the neurophysiologic basis of human languag e, although this potential remains largely unexplored. (C) 1995 John W iley & Sons, Inc.