CORTICAL MOTOR HAND AREA - VALIDATION OF FUNCTIONAL MAGNETIC-RESONANCE-IMAGING BY INTRAOPERATIVE CORTICAL STIMULATION MAPPING

In this study, activation of cortical sites by specific motor tasks (o pening and closing of the hand) was examined by fMRI utilizing the blo od-oxygen-level-dependent (BOLD) technique, fMRI was employed in five volunteers and in six patients with tumors in the vicinity of the cent ral region. In the patients, the fMRI data and intraoperative cortical mapping were compared. Our results indicate good correlation of these two methods and that there are no significant differences in the loca lization of the motor hand area.