Functional magnetic resonance imaging-guided brain tumor resection

Area of Science:

• Neurosurgery
• Neuroimaging
• Oncology

Background:

• Intraoperative MRI (ioMRI) provides real-time imaging during surgery.
• Functional MRI (fMRI) maps brain activity to identify critical functional areas.
• Guiding brain tumor resections with advanced imaging can improve patient outcomes.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the safety and efficacy of using fMRI data to guide brain tumor resections.
• To assess the accuracy of fMRI at 1.5 T and 3 T for surgical guidance.
• To determine the impact of fMRI guidance on the extent of tumor resection.

Main Methods:

• fMRI was performed on 29 patients prior to tumor resection to map motor, speech, and memory areas.
• fMRI data were coregistered with 1.5-T and 3-T MRI scanners.
• Surgical resections were performed using 1.5-T ioMRI systems.

Main Results:

• Radiographically complete fMRI-guided tumor resections were achieved in 69% of patients.
• fMRI data accurately localized eloquent brain areas in all cases.
• Transient neurologic deficits occurred in 26% of patients but resolved within one month; no adverse events related to instrumentation were reported.

Conclusions:

• fMRI is an accurate tool for localizing eloquent neurologic function before ioMRI-guided brain tumor resection.
• fMRI guidance can enhance the safety and efficacy of brain tumor surgery.
• The use of fMRI data improves the extent of tumor resection while minimizing neurological damage.