Image Guided Neurosurgery Core
Alex Golby, M.D., Core PI
Neurosurgical planning and intraoperative brain mapping are the principle activities of the Image Guided Neurosurgery Core, as a major challenge in brain surgery is the identification and preservation of eloquent cortex, so as to avoid post-operative neurological deficits.
Objectives
The Image Guided Neurosurgery Core combines preoperative, high-resolution functional MRI (fMRI), diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), and intraoperative electrophysiologic testing (ECS) in patients with brain tumors in and adjacent to eloquent cortex, so as to accomplish the following general goals:
- develop high-resolution techniques for presurgical fMRI acquisition and analysis
- establish the validity of diffusion tensor imaging for identifying eloquent white matter tracts and their relationship to brain tumors
- develop methods which will improve the accuracy of preoperative functional brain mapping
- improve post-operative neurologic outcomes for patients with tumors in and adjacent to motor and language cortical areas.
These general goals are supported by the continued development and implementation of the most advanced data collection methods and analysis tools; and through ongoing collaborations with other researchers and clinicians in neurosurgery, radiology, engineering, and computer science at ours and affiliated institutions.
Projects
NCIGT projects in which the Neurosurgery Core provides leadership and central input are: