The benefit of fMRI and neuronavigation in neurosurgical treatment of processes in the central region

Abstract The clinical impact and efficacy of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) in navigation-assisted treatment of processes in the central region will be analyzed. Two groups of patients with tumors adjacent to the central region were investigated prospectively. Group 1 (49 patients) that received navigation-assisted surgery utilizing fMRI was compared with patients who received conventional surgery (group 2; 55 patients). The comparison between both groups is based on their pre- and postoperative neurological status up to 6 months after surgery. Patients with gliomas had the greatest benefit from the use of neuronavigation and fMRI. The rate of additional neurological deficits could reduce from 40% to 23% (group 1), which reached no statistical significance, followed by the group of metastases with a reduction of postoperative neurological deficit from 21% to 11% (group 1) and the meningeoma group with no additional benefit. In view of the poor intraoperative delimitability of the glioma tumors, the greatest benefit of fMRI and neuronavigation could be demonstrated in the treatment of this tumor entity.