Brain tumors can have far-reaching impacts on functional networks. Language processing is typically lateralized to the left hemisphere, but also involves the right hemisphere and cerebellum. This resting-state functional MRI study investigated the proximal and distal effects of left-hemispheric brain tumors on language network connectivity in the ipsilesional and contralesional hemispheres. Separate language resting-state networks were generated from seeding in ipsilesional (left) and contralesional (right) Broca’s Area for 29 patients with left-hemispheric brain tumors and 13 controls. Inclusion criteria for all subjects included language left-dominance based on task-based functional MRI. Functional connectivity was analyzed in each network to the respective Wernicke’s Area and contralateral cerebellum. Patients were assessed for language deficits prior to scanning. Compared to controls, patients exhibited decreased connectivity in the ipsilesional and contralesional hemispheres between the Broca’s Area and Wernicke’s Area homologs (mean connectivity for patients/controls: left 0.51/0.59, p < 0.002; right 0.52/0.59, p < 0.0002). No differences in mean connectivity to the contralateral cerebellum were observed between groups (p > 0.09). Crossed cerebro-cerebellar connectivity was correlated in controls (rho = 0.59, p < 0.05), patients without language deficits (rho = 0.74, p < 0.0002), and patients with high-grade gliomas (rho = 0.78, p < 0.0002), but not in patients with language deficits or low-grade gliomas (p > 0.l). These findings demonstrate that brain tumors impact the language network in the contralesional hemisphere and cerebellum, which may reflect neurological deficits and lesion-induced cortical reorganization.

脑肿瘤会对功能网络产生深远影响。语言处理通常偏向左半球，但也涉及右半球和小脑。这项静息态功能性 MRI 研究调查了左半球脑肿瘤对同侧半球和对侧半球语言网络连通性的近端和远端影响。29 名左半球脑肿瘤患者和 13 名对照组的同侧（左）和对侧（右）布罗卡区的播种产生了单独的语言静息态网络。所有受试者的纳入标准包括基于任务型功能 MRI 的语言左优势。在每个网络中分析功能连接到各自的 Wernicke 区和对侧小脑。在扫描之前评估患者的语言缺陷。与对照组相比，患者在布罗卡区和韦尼克区同系物之间的同侧半球和对侧半球表现出连接性降低（患者/对照组的平均连接性：左侧 0.51/0.59，p  < 0.002；右 0.52/0.59，p  < 0.0002）。组间未观察到与对侧小脑的平均连通性存在差异 ( p  > 0.09)。交叉脑-小脑连接在对照组（rho = 0.59，p  < 0.05）、无语言障碍患者（rho = 0.74，p  < 0.0002）和高级别神经胶质瘤患者（rho = 0.78，p  < 0.0002）中相关，但在有语言缺陷或低级别神经胶质瘤的患者中则不然 ( p  > 0.l)。这些发现表明，脑肿瘤影响对侧半球和小脑的语言网络，这可能反映了神经功能缺陷和病变引起的皮质重组。