Sodium Amytal Testing and Language

Abstract

The amobarbital (sodium amytal) test is a technique used to establish hemispheric language and memory capabilities in epilepsy surgery candidates, but its clinical use has also allowed insights into the neural correlates of cognitive functions, and especially language. In particular, the amobarbital test has contributed to the understanding of inter- and intrahemispheric differences in the organization of language, and how early brain injury may lead to the reorganization of cognitive functions and alter the relationship between language and hand dominance.