This special edition “Brain Mapping” of Journal of Neurological Surgery Part A is dedicated to the newest advances in pre- and intraoperative neurophysiological mapping techniques.
Complete removal or gross total resection (GTR) remains the surgical goal for most intracranial tumors including gliomas, and there is increasing evidence that GTR prolongs overall and progression-free survival in lower grade gliomas and glioblastomas. However, the oncological advantage of a more radical resection may be counterbalanced by increasing risks of neurological deficits. Respecting postoperative quality of life becomes a major issue in planning and performing surgery. Therefore, the key concept is “maximal safe resection,” which can be guided by pre- and intraoperative neurophysiological mapping methods.
