Abstract
BackgroundProtocols for intraoperative language mapping with direct electrical stimulation (DES) often include various language tasks triggering both nouns and verbs in sentences. Such protocols are not readily available for navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS), where only single word object naming is generally used. Here, we present the development, norming, and standardization of the verb and noun test for peri-operative testing (VAN-POP) that measures language skills more extensively.MethodsThe VAN-POP tests noun and verb retrieval in sentence context. Items are marked and balanced for several linguistic factors known to influence word retrieval. The VAN-POP was administered in English, German, and Dutch under conditions that are used for nTMS and DES paradigms. For each language, 30 speakers were tested.ResultsAt least 50 items per task per language were named fluently and reached a high naming agreement.ConclusionThe protocol proved to be suitable for pre- and intraoperative language mapping with nTMS and DES.
Highlights
When treating tumors in eloquent areas of the brain, functionbased resection has been proven the best approach to preserve quality of life, while maximizing the extent of resection [12, 20, 35]
The VAN protocol consists of two tests: object naming in sentence context (ON) and action naming in sentence context (AN)
A new test was developed with these items, again completely balanced for relevant variables such as word frequency and age of acquisition
Summary
When treating tumors in eloquent areas of the brain, functionbased resection has been proven the best approach to preserve quality of life, while maximizing the extent of resection [12, 20, 35]. If the patient is unable to perform a specific task during stimulation, it is concluded that the stimulated area is involved in a specific cognitive or motor function and should be spared during resection [8, 15] This procedure is known as the gold standard in decision making for the extent of tumor resection and is currently superior to other methods [12, 13]. Protocols for intraoperative language mapping with direct electrical stimulation (DES) often include various language tasks triggering both nouns and verbs in sentences. Such protocols are not readily available for navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS), where only single word object naming is generally used. Results At least 50 items per task per language were named fluently and reached a high naming agreement
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