Naming outcome prediction in patients with discordant Wada and fMRI language lateralization.

Objective: Investigations of the validity of fMRI as an alternative to Wada language testing have yielded Wada/fMRI discordance rates of approximately 15%, but almost nothing is known regarding the relative accuracy of Wada and fMRI in discordant cases. The objective of this study was to determine which of the two (the Wada test or the language fMRI) is more predictive of postoperative naming outcome following left anterior temporal lobectomy in discordant cases.

Methods: Among 229 patients with epilepsy who prospectively underwent Wada and fMRI language testing, ten had discordant language lateralization results, underwent left anterior temporal lobectomy, and returned for postoperative language testing. The relative accuracy of Wada and fMRI for predicting language outcome was examined in these cases.

Results: Functional magnetic resonance imaging provided a more accurate prediction of language outcome in seven patients, Wada was more accurate in two patients, and the two tests were equally accurate in one patient.

Conclusions: In cases of discordance, fMRI predicted postsurgical naming outcome with relatively better accuracy compared to the Wada test.