To establish the possibilities of functional magnetic resonance (fMRI) in the assesment of preservation of the motor and speech brain functions in the primary brain tumour patients planed for neurosurgery.
Methods and material: fMRI of motor and/or speech areas was performed on 3T MRI unit in 17 patients with primary brain tumours and dominant focal epileptic symptomatology.
Results: None of the patients demonstrated motor neurologic deficit before the operation, while in one patient a moderate speech disorder was noted. Operative treatment has been performed in 11/17 patients, and in 6/11 patients total tumour resection has been performed. Motor deficit has not been noted in any of the patients. Transitory speech deficit was noted in 3/11 patients, while 1/11 patients demonstrated a permanent but mild speech deficit.
Conclusion: fMRI may be of significant help in the assessment of potential postoperative neurological deficit risks, enabling the optimization of neurosurgical resection procedure in the brain tumour patients.