Risk Stratification by nTMS Language Mapping
摘要
Surgical resection of tumors located within language-eloquent brain regions requires balancing maximal oncological resection with preservation of function. While intraoperative direct electrical stimulation (DES) remains the gold standard for identifying language areas, it relies on awake surgery and is not feasible in all patients. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has emerged as a non-invasive tool for presurgical language mapping and risk stratification. This chapter reviews current evidence on nTMS in assessing hemispheric language dominance, its sensitivity and specificity compared with DES, spatial accuracy, and its integration with diffusion tensor imaging–based fiber tracking. Data indicate that nTMS provides reliable identification of language-negative areas, supporting surgical decision-making, guiding corticotomy, and enabling safe resections even under general anesthesia in selected patients. By combining cortical and subcortical mapping with measures such as hemispheric dominance ratio and lesion-to-tract distance, nTMS contributes to individualized risk assessment and surgical planning. Thus, nTMS represents an increasingly valuable adjunct in the treatment of language-eloquent brain lesions.