To investigate the effects of the navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging in the cortical localization of Chinese language function and to describe the distributions of the essential language functional areas and participating language functional areas at group level and individual level.

Twenty healthy volunteers underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging of brain function by selecting the covert pictures to name task. All participating language functional areas were identified after obtaining the brain activation maps. The picture naming tasks were selected. Under the navigation of the neuronavigation system, the synchronous repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation was conducted. The essential language functional areas of the participants were identified, and the characteristics of the essential language functional areas and participating language functional areas were analyzed on the group level and individual level.

At the individual level, there was greater difference in the distribution of Chinese language functional areas; at the group level, the range of activation was wider in the participating language functional areas than the essential language functional areas, but the overall distribution trend of the language functional areas was united, including the ventral precentral gyrus of the left dominant hemisphere, classic Broca’s area, and pars opercularis of the right non-dominant hemisphere.

The combined application of transcranial magnetic stimulation and functional magnetic resonance imaging is able to locate the essential language functional areas and participating language functional areas, it can either analyze the language function distribution trend at the group level or precisely plan the language functional areas at the individual level. It contributes to guide surgical treatment of language functional areas.

Brain mapping; Transcranial magnetic stimulation; Neuronavigation; Magnetic resonance imaging; Language area