Preoperative brain mapping and intraoperative monitoring in brain tumor surgery

We evaluated the reliability and usefulness of preoperative brain functional mapping and intraoperative brain monitoring in surgery of the brain tumor located around the sensorimotor region. Combinations with the preoperative identification of central sulcus by magnetoencephalography and the intraoperative motor-evoked potential monitoring assisted in designing the surgical strategy and provided important information during the surgery to minimize postoperative neurological deficit. Especially, decreases of MEPs in amplitude reliably predict impaired motor function during operation.