Denise Klein

Regular member
Institutions: McGill University, Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery
Research interests: Language organisation; Bilingualism; Functional and anatomical brain imaging; Presurgical brain mapping
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Denise Klein uses positron emission tomography (PET) combined with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and functional MRI to measure regional changes in cerebral blood flow during the performance of various language tasks. One major emphasis of her research focuses on the brain regions recruited in bilingual language processing. Her brain imaging studies also have considerable clinical relevance, helping to map functional language areas in patients with focal brain lesions who will undergo brain surgery involving cortex bordering on critical speech areas. She is responsible for running a presurgical functional brain mapping program at the MNI that integrates anatomical MRI, functional MRI and PET to facilitate preoperative diagnostic procedures in patients with tumours, epileptic foci, vascular malformations and other brain lesions that are in close proximity to areas of the brain that are critical to movement, vision, sensation, or language.