![Depth Electrodes Used for Speech Mapping Depth Electrodes Used for Speech Mapping](https://images.medindia.net/health-images/1200_1000/brain-injuries.jpg)
Jonathan Miller, MD, a neurosurgeon, Director of Functional and Restorative Medicine at UH Case Medical Center, and Assistant Professor of Neurosurgery at Case Western Reserve University School of Medicine, and colleagues, tested a potential alternative method, called the "Electric WADA," with patients who received deep brain implants.
With four patients implanted with deep brain electrodes to identify the areas of the brain where their epileptic seizures originated, Dr. Miller was able to stimulate each side of the brain while the patient read words. He found that their speech was halted upon stimulation on the speech dominant side of the brain, but unaffected by stimulation on the non-dominate side. And there were no adverse events of implantation or stimulation.
"Brain mapping using depth electrodes represents a potential alternative to the WADA test in cases where the side of speech dominance is uncertain," said Dr. Miller. "The main advantage for the implantation is for patients who will have electrodes implanted in that location anyway, so that WADA can be avoided, or for small children who cannot cooperate with the traditional WADA."
Source-Eurekalert