Awake intraoperative mapping to identify cortical regions related to music performance: Technical note

The aim of this manuscript is to present our intraoperative technique assessing the ability to perform music. Our protocol excludes cases where performance can be disrupted by motor deficits. The positive cortical sites (the posterior part of the superior temporal gyrus and supramarginal gyrus) related purely to music performance are also reported. We present the case of a patient, an amateur piano player who underwent surgery for a symptomatic supratentorial cavernoma while awake with intraoperative brain mapping. This case report shows that amateur and possibly professional musicians may benefit from awake procedures. This report confirms that stimulation of the specific area of the brain can disturb the function of a large network responsible for high-level cognitive task, like music performance.