Rhc. Lazeron et al., Visualizing brain activation during planning: The Tower of London test adapted for functional MR imaging, AM J NEUROR, 21(8), 2000, pp. 1407-1414
Citations number
16
Categorie Soggetti
Radiology ,Nuclear Medicine & Imaging","Neurosciences & Behavoir
BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Recent positron emission tomography and single-phot
on emission CT studies using the Tower of London test have shown that brain
activation during planning activities primarily resides in the prefrontal
cortex, In this study, we adapted the Tower of London test for functional M
R imaging.
METHODS: For use with functional MR imaging, a block design of the test was
created, in which planning stages were contrasted with counting of colored
balls, For nine healthy participants, multisection echo-planar functional
MR imaging was performed to assess brain activation based on changes in blo
od oxygen level. Activation maps for individual participants and a group av
erage map were created.
RESULTS: In the group average map, activation in the dorsolateral prefronta
l cortex, the anterior part of the cingulate cortex, the cuneus and precune
us, the supramarginal and angular gyrus in the parietal lobe, and the front
al opercular area of the insula was seen. These findings are in agreement w
ith grouped data of previous positron emission tomography results. Function
al MR imaging enabled us to investigate brain activation during planning ac
tivities with high spatial (and temporal) resolution in individual patients
, showing that the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex was activated in all part
icipants studied.
CONCLUSION: presented is a working functional MR imaging version of the pla
nning task. The high sensitivity of functional MR imaging may allow the use
of this test for patients with possible (pre)frontal disorders.