New brain mapping technology, used at the UCLA School of Medicine and Department of Neurology, is helping physicians better understand brain functions and related ailments. It's also helping to make brain-related surgery more accurate and less risky.
Brain surgery is one of the most delicate and difficult procedures in all of medicine.
Brain imaging helps us operate precisely on the affected brain section, which minimizes inadvertent damage to surrounding areas of the brain. This was the case with a recent UCLA patient, Chris Taylor, who was admitted to UCLA School of Medicine following an onset of seizures. Doctors diagnosed Chris with cavernous angioma. This rare disorder caused the blood vessels in Taylor's brain to form improperly. By mapping Taylor's brain before surgery, Dr. Toga and his team were able to identify the problem area located directly above the brain area that controls language.