Funding from Helsefonden to Giske Opheim

Congratulations to Giske Opheim for receiving DKK 350.000 from Helsefonden for the project 'Pre- and intraoperative MRI in brain surgery - chasing the optimal resection'.

Summary:
Neurosurgery for brain tumours and epilepsy requires a delicate balance between removal of sufficient pathological tissue to postpone disease progression/relieve symptoms and limiting resections where damage would cause impairment of important brain function, such as motor ability and language. Neurosurgery has always included stimulation of the exposed brain in patients operated when awake for registration of the neuropsychological and functional responses to localize essential functions. However, direct stimulation requires the patient’s ability to cooperate and is further limited by the growing use of minimally invasive surgery, where the brain surface is no longer exposed. With our new approach, we wish to pave the way to brain mapping that is adaptable to anaesthetized patients and can be used with less invasive surgery techniques. We will first focus on preoperative magnetic resonance (MR) session  to map malignant tumour spread as well as areas with essential functions, and will compare findings with positron emission tomography of amino acid uptake to delineate malignancy. Further, an intraoperative MR approach for localizing essential functions will be used to guide the ongoing surgical plan both in patients with brain tumours and epilepsy. Results will be compared to operative and clinical findings and histopathological tissue properties.