fMRI-guided tractography of language processing streams in the healthy brain

Introduction: Recovery of language function after aphasic stroke appears to be related not only to the intactness of cortical language areas but also to the integrity of the interconnecting temporo-frontal fibre tracks. Our study was set out to compile a neuroanatomical atlas of the language network using a probabilistic fibre tracking tool based on Diffusion Tensor Imaging (DTI) for mapping intra- and interhemispheric connections of fMRI-defined cortical activation knots. Methods: We examined 19 healthy subjects with fMRI and DTI. The main knots of the language network were identified by a language comprehensio…