Volume 21, Issue 1 pp. 16-23

Determination of Hemispheric Dominance with Mental Rotation Using Functional Transcranial Doppler Sonography and fMRI

Katja Hattemer MD

Katja Hattemer MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Annika Plate MD

Annika Plate MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Johannes T. Heverhagen MD

Johannes T. Heverhagen MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Anja Haag MS

Anja Haag MS

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Boris Keil MS

Boris Keil MS

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Karl Martin Klein MD

Karl Martin Klein MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Anke Hermsen MS

Anke Hermsen MS

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Wolfgang H. Oertel MD

Wolfgang H. Oertel MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Hajo M. Hamer MD

Hajo M. Hamer MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Felix Rosenow MD

Felix Rosenow MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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Susanne Knake MD

Susanne Knake MD

From the Department of Neurology, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (KH, AP, AH, KMK, AH, WHO, HMH, FR, SK); and Department of Radiology, Philipps-University Marburg, Marburg, Germany (JTH, BK).

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First published: 28 December 2010
Citations: 22
Correspondence: Address correspondence to Susanne Knake, MD, Interdisciplinary Epilepsy Center, Department of Neurology, Philipps-University Marburg, Rudolf-Bultmann-Str. 8, 35033 Marburg, Germany. E-mail: [email protected].

Disclosure: The authors report no financial interest or conflicts of interest related to the manuscript.

J Neuroimaging 2011;21:16-23.

Abstract

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

The aim of this study was to investigate specific activation patterns and potential gender differences during mental rotation and to investigate whether functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and functional transcranial Doppler sonography (fTCD) lateralize hemispheric dominance concordantly.

METHODS

Regional brain activation and hemispheric dominance during mental rotation (cube perspective test) were investigated in 10 female and 10 male healthy subjects using fMRI and fTCD.

RESULTS

Significant activation was found in the superior parietal lobe, at the parieto-occipital border, in the middle and superior frontal gyrus bilaterally, and the right inferior frontal gyrus using fMRI. Men showed a stronger lateralization to the right hemisphere during fMRI and a tendency toward stronger right-hemispheric activation during fTCD. Furthermore, more activation in frontal and parieto-occipital regions of the right hemisphere was observed using fMRI. Hemispheric dominance for mental rotation determined by the 2 methods correlated well (P= .008), but did not show concordant results in every single subject.

CONCLUSIONS

The neural basis of mental rotation depends on a widespread bilateral network. Hemispheric dominance for mental rotation determined by fMRI and fTCD, though correlating well, is not always concordant. Hemispheric lateralization of complex cortical functions such as spatial rotation therefore should be investigated using multimodal imaging approaches, especially if used clinically as a tool for the presurgical evaluation of patients undergoing neurosurgery.

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