Assessment of Multiple Task Activation and Reproducibility in Patients with Benign and Low-grade Neoplasms

Abstract

Twenty-four patients with proven benign and low-grade brain neoplasms each performed two iterations of four fMRI paradigms: language (word generation), primary and association auditory (text listening), upper limb fine motor control (alternating-limb bilateral finger tapping), and primary visual perception (reversing checkerboard). Activation clusters with varying thresholds were generated for each scan and used to calculate reproducibility parameters: Difference in the Center of Mass (COM) location, R_size, and R_overlap. The average difference in the COM, R_size, and R_overlap values ranged from 1.70 ± 0.53 mm −10.60 ± 3.21 mm, 0.6 ± 0.04–0.90 ± 0.05 and 0.23 ± 0.12 −1 ± 0.16 respectively for all tasks. These values are within the range of, or higher than, previously published reports on fMRI test-retest precision. FMRI is indicated to be a noninvasive tool with acceptable reproducibility measures for assessing the localizations of multiple language and sensorimotor functions in patients scheduled for radiotherapy treatment.