Role of functional MRI in assessment of voice, language, and speech disorders

Objective The objective of this study was to review the role of functional MRI (fMRI) in assessment of voice, language, and speech disorders. Materials and Methods Medline databases (PubMed, Medscape, and ScienceDirect) and all materials available in the Internet from 1993 to 2017 were the sources of data. The initial search presented 267 articles of which 62 met the inclusion criteria. The articles studied the role of fMRI in assessment of communication disorders as regards voice, language, and speech. If the studies did not fulfill the inclusion criteria, they were excluded. Study quality assessment included whether ethical approval was gained, eligibility criteria specified, appropriate controls, adequate information, and defined assessment measures. Results Significant data were collected. Data were heterogeneous. Thus, a structured review was performed with the results tabulated. Conclusion fMRI brain imaging provides a new perspective on the organization of language, speech, and voice in the human brain. It can provide basic information about brain disease, and determine and monitor treatment outcomes of communication disorders. It gives a better definition of the distributed nature of the brain circuits involved and appreciation of the flexibility of these circuits in adapting to the different aspects of language, speech, and voice production.