Analysis of the Structure of the Gray Matter of the Brain by Voxel Morphometry in Patients with a Brain Tumor

In the current study we conducted the voxel-based morphometry (VBM) analysis of grey matter volume (GMV) in brain tumour patients before and after tumour resection in relation to their language skills assesed with Russian Aphasia Test (RAT). Our finding showed that worse comprehension and production subtests results were significantly associated with the enlargment of GMV in frontal, temporal, and occipital regions, and also in the cerebellum exterior cortex. These outcomes are consistent with the idea of language network reorganisation both due to the tumour and its resection. Moreover, the results demonstrate a wide distribution of language function associated with GMV not only in the left dominant hemisphere but also in the right hemisphere both in the presurgical and postsurgical conditions. In conclusion, GMV abnormalities and a language function decline occur often in brain tumour patients, and it should be better investigated in order to find its origins and possibly make it possible to reduce the impairment in future.