Uploaded February 2014 | Updated September 2026, 2 hours ago
Excerpt from Brain Works 2013, a free community event from Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Register for our next brain innovation event at: bjhne.ws/xh
In this portion of the Brain Works presentation, neurosurgeons Dr. Eric Leuthardt and Dr. Albert Kim explain how brain mapping is used to locate the most critical areas of the brain and avoid damaging them during brain surgery.
One of the ways that brain mapping is done is called cortical stimulation. Using a tool that is essentially like an electric pen, neurosurgeons stimulate the surface the brain while the patient is awake and talking. Different areas of the brain are stunned benignly so that they stop working for just a few moments. If the patient stops talking, neurosurgeons know that they have located a functional area, letting them know ahead of time what will happen if they operate on that area.
Neurosurgeons also map the brain by putting electrode arrays on the surface the brain while the patient does different tasks. Brain mapping is often done during an awake craniotomy, which means the patient is awake for part of the surgery.
Excerpt from Brain Works 2013, a free community event from Washington University and Barnes-Jewish Hospital. Register for our next brain innovation event at: bjhne.ws/xh
In this portion of the Brain Works presentation, neurosurgeons Dr. Eric Leuthardt and Dr. Albert Kim explain how brain mapping is used to locate the most critical areas of the brain and avoid damaging them during brain surgery.
One of the ways that brain mapping is done is called cortical stimulation. Using a tool that is essentially like an electric pen, neurosurgeons stimulate the surface the brain while the patient is awake and talking. Different areas of the brain are stunned benignly so that they stop working for just a few moments. If the patient stops talking, neurosurgeons know that they have located a functional area, letting them know ahead of time what will happen if they operate on that area.
Neurosurgeons also map the brain by putting electrode arrays on the surface the brain while the patient does different tasks. Brain mapping is often done during an awake craniotomy, which means the patient is awake for part of the surgery.
