Table 3.

Resting state fMRI and pre-surgical planning

rsfMRI can be performed in patients who may not be able to complete task-based paradigms e.g. young children, uncooperative patients, and patients who are sedated, paretic, or aphasic. Provides a map of resting state architecture including multiple RSNs of the brain prior to surgery. In patients with brain tumors this is particularly valuable when intraoperative electro-cortical stimulation cannot be performed. Identifies multiple networks simultaneously, saving time when information on multiple networks may be required. The topography of RSNs closely corresponds to the topography elicited by task fMRI. RSNs are generally symmetric, thus determining language lateralization is more challenging than in task based fMRI and is an area of active research.