Acoustically presented semantic decision-making tasks provide a robust depiction of the temporo-parietal speech areas.

Functional MRI (fMRI) is routinely used to depict language areas, for example in the preoperative diagnostic work-up of patients with a brain tumour. The objective of this study was to test whether semantic decision making can activate the temporo-parietal language areas better than phonological generation stimuli. Five fMRI language stimuli were tested in 20 healthy volunteers: (i) word generation to a given letter (WG); (ii) verb generation to a given noun (VG); (iii) generation of groups of words (GW); (iv) detection of a semantic violation in sentences (SV); and (v) detection of pseudowords (PW).

Normal values of quantitative T2' in a spontaneously hypertensive stroke prone rat stem at 3T.

Introduction: Regarding therapy and prognosis of acute ischemic stroke the identification of ischemic penumbra is pivotal. A promising candidate is BOLD-imaging using qT2'-maps. For valid interpretation of experimental studies in animals normal values for qT2' are needed.

The correlation between quantitative T2' and regional cerebral blood flow after acute brain ischemia in early reperfusion as demonstrated in a middle cerebral artery occlusion/reperfusion model of the rat.

Introduction: qT2'-maps are calculated by subtracting T2- from T2*-relaxation rates. They are oxygen-sensitive and depict oxygen extraction. In several studies they have been used to describe the penumbra in patients with acute ischemic stroke.