Abstract
Epilepsy surgery is a treatment option for patients with epilepsy who failed multiple antiepileptic drugs. After detailed investigations for probing the epileptic focus and surrounding functional brain regions, tailor-made resection of the epileptic focus is performed seeking for seizure freedom. We have combined the state-of-art systems neuroscience methods to explore and preserve the language network, such as a less invasive electrical cortical stimulation method, signal analyses and decoding of electrocorticogram (ECoG) , cortico-cortical evoked potential (CCEP) , anatomical fiber tractography and longitudinal neuropsychologic evaluation. We here report the comprehensive language mapping of the dual language pathway, its clinical application to awake brain surgery, and the novel findings for neural basis of the language dual stream with emphasis on the semantic aspect. According to recent function and connectivity studies, the basal temporal language area at and around the anterior fusiform gyrus is one of the crucial regions for semantic memory and is involved in the ventral language pathway. In order to improve the QOL of patients in terms of language and semantic functions, a comprehensive multidisciplinary longitudinal study in a large cohort is warranted to delineate the brain plasticity related to these important higher brain functions.
