Functional magnetic resonance imaging of regional brain activity in patients with intracerebral arteriovenous malformations before surgical or endovascular therapy

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Abstract
✓ Functional magnetic resonance (MR) imaging was performed in six patients harboring proven intracerebral arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) using a noninvasive blood oxygen level—dependent technique based on the documented discrepancy between regional increases in blood flow and oxygen utilization in response to regional brain activation. Statistical functional MR maps were generated and overlaid directly onto conventional MR images obtained at the same session. In the six patients studied, a total of 23 separate functional MR imaging activation studies were performed. Of these, two runs were discarded because of motion artifacts. All of the remaining 21 studies demonstrated activation in or near expected regions for the paradigm employed. Qualitatively reproducible regional localizations of functional activity in unexpected sites were also seen. The authors' findings indicating aberrant mapping of cortical function may be explained on the basis of the plasticity of brain function, in that the developing...