RT Journal Article SR Electronic T1 Developing fMRI protocol for clinical use Comparison of 6 Arabic paradigms for brain language mapping in native Arabic speakers JF Neurosciences Journal JO Neurosciences (Riyadh) FD Prince Sultan Military Medical City SP 45 OP 55 DO 10.17712/nsj.2021.1.20200012 VO 26 IS 1 A1 Rafat S. Mohtasib A1 Jamaan S. Alghamdi A1 Salah M. Baz A1 Haya F. Aljoudi A1 Ahmed M. Masawi A1 Aman A. Jobeir YR 2021 UL http://nsj.org.sa/content/26/1/45.abstract AB Objectives: To assess a baseline assessment using developed functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) language paradigms for Arabic-speakers.Methods: 24-healthy right-handed volunteers scanned on a 3.0 Tesla MRI machine. For fMRI, a BOLD-sensitive sequence used to measure signals over time across 6 language paradigms: rhyming (RH), semantic category generations (SCG), silent word generation (SWG), verb generation picture (VGp), verb generation word (VGw), and verb generation audio (VGa). fMRI data was analyzed using FMRIB Software Library (FSL).Results: We found that VGa, SWG, VGw and VGp robustly activated language-related regions in the dominant hemisphere. RH and SCG failed to adequately define these activation regions but this may be related to the study’s preliminary nature and limitations. After assessment of their validity, considerable activation of the inferior frontal gyrus during VGa, SWG, VGw and VGp suggests that these paradigms have the potential for localizing of Broca’s area in native Arabic speakers.Conclusion: Set of well adapted, and evidence-based, fMRI paradigms were established for Arabic-speakers to enable accurate and sufficient localization and lateralization of the language area. After validation, these paradigms may provide sequences for accurate localization of brain language areas, and could be used as a presurgical evaluation tool.