In Reply to the Letter to the Editor Regarding “First United Kingdom Experience of Navigated Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation in Preoperative Mapping of Brain Tumors”

2019 ◽  
Vol 125 ◽  
pp. 551-552
Author(s):  
Josephine Jung ◽  
José-Pedro Lavrador ◽  
Sabina Patel ◽  
Anastasios Giamouriadis ◽  
Jordan Lam ◽  
...  
2019 ◽  
Vol 122 ◽  
pp. e1578-e1587 ◽  
Author(s):  
Josephine Jung ◽  
José-Pedro Lavrador ◽  
Sabina Patel ◽  
Anastasios Giamouriadis ◽  
Jordan Lam ◽  
...  

2019 ◽  
Vol 47 (6) ◽  
pp. E10 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giovanni Raffa ◽  
Maria Catena Quattropani ◽  
Antonino Germanò

Maximal safe resection is the modern goal for surgery of intrinsic brain tumors located in or close to brain eloquent areas. Nowadays different neuroimaging techniques provide important anatomical and functional information regarding the brain functional organization that can be used to plan a customized surgical strategy to preserve functional networks, and to increase the extent of tumor resection. Among these techniques, navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) has recently gained great favor among the neurosurgical community for preoperative mapping and planning prior to brain tumor surgery. It represents an advanced neuroimaging technique based on the neurophysiological mapping of the functional cortical brain organization. Moreover, it can be combined with other neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging tractography, thus providing a reliable reconstruction of brain eloquent networks. Consequently, nTMS mapping may provide reliable noninvasive brain functional mapping, anticipating information that otherwise may be available to neurosurgeons only in the operating theater by using direct electrical stimulation. The authors describe the reliability and usefulness of the preoperative nTMS-based approach in neurosurgical practice, and briefly discuss their experience using nTMS as well as currently available evidence in the literature supporting its clinical use. In particular, special attention is reserved for the discussion of the role of nTMS as a novel tool for the preoperative neurophysiological mapping of motor and language networks prior to surgery of intrinsic brain tumors located in or close to eloquent networks, as well as for future and promising applications of nTMS in neurosurgical practice.


2020 ◽  
Vol 132 (4) ◽  
pp. 1033-1042 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nico Sollmann ◽  
Alessia Fratini ◽  
Haosu Zhang ◽  
Claus Zimmer ◽  
Bernhard Meyer ◽  
...  

OBJECTIVENavigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) in combination with diffusion tensor imaging fiber tracking (DTI FT) is increasingly used to locate subcortical language-related pathways. The aim of this study was to establish nTMS-based DTI FT for preoperative risk stratification by evaluating associations between lesion-to-tract distances (LTDs) and aphasia and by determining a cut-off LTD value to prevent surgery-related permanent aphasia.METHODSFifty patients with left-hemispheric, language-eloquent brain tumors underwent preoperative nTMS language mapping and nTMS-based DTI FT, followed by tumor resection. nTMS-based DTI FT was performed with a predefined fractional anisotropy (FA) of 0.10, 0.15, 50% of the individual FA threshold (FAT), and 75% FAT (minimum fiber length [FL]: 100 mm). The arcuate fascicle (AF), superior longitudinal fascicle (SLF), inferior longitudinal fascicle (ILF), uncinate fascicle (UC), and frontooccipital fascicle (FoF) were identified in nTMS-based tractography, and minimum LTDs were measured between the lesion and the AF and between the lesion and the closest other subcortical language-related pathway (SLF, ILF, UC, or FoF). LTDs were then associated with the level of aphasia (no/transient or permanent surgery-related aphasia, according to follow-up examinations).RESULTSA significant difference in LTDs was observed between patients with no or only surgery-related transient impairment and those who developed surgery-related permanent aphasia with regard to the AF (FA = 0.10, p = 0.0321; FA = 0.15, p = 0.0143; FA = 50% FAT, p = 0.0106) as well as the closest other subcortical language-related pathway (FA = 0.10, p = 0.0182; FA = 0.15, p = 0.0200; FA = 50% FAT, p = 0.0077). Patients with surgery-related permanent aphasia showed the lowest LTDs in relation to these tracts. Thus, LTDs of ≥ 8 mm (AF) and ≥ 11 mm (SLF, ILF, UC, or FoF) were determined as cut-off values for surgery-related permanent aphasia.CONCLUSIONSnTMS-based DTI FT of subcortical language-related pathways seems suitable for risk stratification and prediction in patients suffering from language-eloquent brain tumors. Thus, the current role of nTMS-based DTI FT might be expanded, going beyond the level of being a mere tool for surgical planning and resection guidance.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alexander F. Haddad ◽  
Jacob S. Young ◽  
Mitchel S. Berger ◽  
Phiroz E. Tarapore

Preoperative mapping of cortical structures prior to neurosurgical intervention can provide a roadmap of the brain with which neurosurgeons can navigate critical cortical structures. In patients undergoing surgery for brain tumors, preoperative mapping allows for improved operative planning, patient risk stratification, and personalized preoperative patient counseling. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is one modality that allows for highly accurate, image-guided, non-invasive stimulation of the brain, thus allowing for differentiation between eloquent and non-eloquent cortical regions. Motor mapping is the best validated application of nTMS, yielding reliable maps with an accuracy similar to intraoperative cortical mapping. Language mapping is also commonly performed, although nTMS language maps are not as highly concordant with direct intraoperative cortical stimulation maps as nTMS motor maps. Additionally, nTMS has been used to localize cortical regions involved in other functions such as facial recognition, calculation, higher-order motor processing, and visuospatial orientation. In this review, we evaluate the growing literature on the applications of nTMS in the preoperative setting. First, we analyze the evidence in support of the most common clinical applications. Then we identify usages that show promise but require further validation. We also discuss developing nTMS techniques that are still in the experimental stage, such as the use of nTMS to enhance postoperative recovery. Finally, we highlight practical considerations when utilizing nTMS and, importantly, its safety profile in neurosurgical patients. In so doing, we aim to provide a comprehensive review of the role of nTMS in the neurosurgical management of a patient with a brain tumor.


2021 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
Author(s):  
Giuseppe Emmanuele Umana ◽  
Gianluca Scalia ◽  
Francesca Graziano ◽  
Rosario Maugeri ◽  
Nicola Alberio ◽  
...  

Background: The surgical strategy for brain glioma has changed, shifting from tumor debulking to a more careful tumor dissection with the aim of a gross-total resection, extended beyond the contrast-enhancement MRI, including the hyperintensity on FLAIR MR images and defined as supratotal resection. It is possible to pursue this goal thanks to the refinement of several technological tools for pre and intraoperative planning including intraoperative neurophysiological monitoring (IONM), cortico-subcortical mapping, functional MRI (fMRI), navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS), intraoperative CT or MRI (iCT, iMR), and intraoperative contrast-enhanced ultrasound. This systematic review provides an overview of the state of the art techniques in the application of nTMS and nTMS-based DTI-FT during brain tumor surgery.Materials and Methods: A systematic literature review was performed according to the PRISMA statement. The authors searched the PubMed and Scopus databases until July 2020 for published articles with the following Mesh terms: (Brain surgery OR surgery OR craniotomy) AND (brain mapping OR functional planning) AND (TMS OR transcranial magnetic stimulation OR rTMS OR repetitive transcranial stimulation). We only included studies regarding motor mapping in craniotomy for brain tumors, which reported data about CTS sparing.Results: A total of 335 published studies were identified through the PubMed and Scopus databases. After a detailed examination of these studies, 325 were excluded from our review because of a lack of data object in this search. TMS reported an accuracy range of 0.4–14.8 mm between the APB hotspot (n1/4 8) in nTMS and DES from the DES spot; nTMS influenced the surgical indications in 34.3–68.5%.Conclusion: We found that nTMS can be defined as a safe and non-invasive technique and in association with DES, fMRI, and IONM, improves brain mapping and the extent of resection favoring a better postoperative outcome.


2018 ◽  
Vol 32 (1) ◽  
pp. 16-24
Author(s):  
G. Petrescu ◽  
Cristina Gorgan ◽  
A. Giovani ◽  
F.M. Brehar ◽  
R.M. Gorgan

Abstract Introduction: Maximal surgical resection with the preservation of cortical functions is the treatment of choice for brain tumors. Achieving these objectives is especially difficult when the tumor is located in an eloquent area. Navigated transcranial magnetic stimulation (nTMS) is a modern non-invasive, preoperative method for defining motor and speech eloquent areas. Material and methods: Patients with tumors located in motor and speech eloquent areas who presented at our institution between March 2017 and December 2017 were prospectively included. Exclusion criteria were frequent generalized epileptic seizures and cranial implants. For lesions involving motor eloquent areas we performed a nTMS motor mapping and for lesions involving speech eloquent areas we supplemented the motor mapping with speech and language mapping. MR images were exported from the nTMS system in a DICOM format and then loaded in the intraoperative neuronavigation system. Based on these findings, the optimal entry point and trajectory were determined, in order to achieve a maximum surgical resection of the lesion, while avoiding new post-operative neurological deficits. Results: Nineteen patients underwent an nTMS brain mapping procedure between March 2017 and December 2017. In all cases a motor mapping procedure was done, but only in eight cases a speech mapping was also performed. Three patients presented new minor postoperatory deficits that consecutively remitted. The rest of the patients presented no added neurological deficits after surgery. In five cases the preexistent deficit was ameliorated after surgery and in three cases the deficit remitted. In one patient there was no improvement in the neurologic deficit after surgery. Conclusion: nTMS is a reliable tool for the preoperative planning of eloquent area lesions. It must be taken into account that functional areas have a high individual variability. Therefore, knowing preoperatively the extent of the eloquent area helps the neurosurgeon adapt the surgical approach in order to obtain a better functional outcome.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document