Using Navigated TMS to Study Brain Function in Tumor Surgery
Author Information
Author(s): Bonaudo Camilla, Castaldi Elisa, Pedone Agnese, Capelli Federico, Enderage Don Shani, Pieropan Edoardo, Bianchi Andrea, Gobbo Marika, Maduli Giuseppe, Fedi Francesca, Baldanzi Fabrizio, Troiano Simone, Maiorelli Antonio, Muscas Giovanni, Battista Francesca, Campagnaro Luca, De Pellegrin Serena, Amadori Andrea, Fainardi Enrico, Carrai Riccardo, Grippo Antonello, Della Puppa Alessandro, Schmidt Mirko H.H.
Primary Institution: University Hospital of Careggi, University of Florence
Hypothesis
Can navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) effectively map visuospatial functions in patients undergoing brain tumor surgery?
Conclusion
nTMS is beneficial for studying cognitive functions and minimizing neurological impairment during brain tumor surgery.
Supporting Evidence
- 80% to 98.86% functional recovery was observed in patients after surgery.
- 33% of patients developed postoperative left neglect, which improved over time.
- nTMS mapping guided surgical strategy to preserve important brain functions.
- Comparison of nTMS and DCS showed a specificity of 91.21%.
Takeaway
Doctors used a special tool called nTMS to help find important brain areas before surgery, which helped many patients feel better after their operations.
Methodology
A monocentric prospective study using nTMS for preoperative mapping of visuospatial functions in 27 patients with brain tumors.
Potential Biases
Potential bias due to recurrent lesions affecting clinical results.
Limitations
Limited number of patients and surgical procedures; reliance on an experimental test (VISA) that requires further validation.
Participant Demographics
Median education level of 12.16 years; mean age of 50.77 years; gender distribution was 1:1.
Statistical Information
P-Value
0.007
Statistical Significance
p<0.05
Digital Object Identifier (DOI)
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