What is the primary use of functional cortical stimulation during surgery?

The primary use of functional cortical stimulation during surgery is to preserve brain areas during resection. This technique is employed to identify and map essential functional areas of the brain before performing surgical interventions, particularly in cases where tumors or other lesions may be impacting critical regions. By using functional cortical stimulation, surgeons can evoke responses from various areas of the cortex, allowing them to delineate boundaries of critical brain functions such as speech, motor control, and sensory processing. This careful mapping helps ensure that these vital areas are preserved while resecting less necessary or diseased tissue, thereby minimizing potential neurological deficits and complications following the surgery.

This approach is particularly crucial in neurosurgical procedures, where there is a risk of damaging the functional integrity of the brain. By actively stimulating and assessing brain responses during the operation, surgeons can make real-time decisions to safeguard important brain functions.