Theoretical and Practical Neuroscience Tools for Neurosurgery

Medical observations can often be of important help for basic research and conversely. Here we review advances in basic and applied neuroscience that provide both theoretical and practical tools for neurosurgery. To this end, in the first two sections, we address the increased precision of functional brain mapping in clinical contexts and the processes of how the brain dynamically adapts to structural changes following surgery to optimize recovery. In the third section, we focus on the more recently studied field of social/affective neuroscience and how it results to neurosurgery advances, pointing out theoretical advances but also future challenges of primary interest for the sake of neurosurgical practices and better patients' outcome.