Eighteen of the 19 patients underwent more aggressive approaches than originally planned.Īdditionally, the fMRI findings helped decrease surgical time by an estimated 15 to 60 minutes in 22 patients. The researchers found that in 19 of 39 patients (49 percent), the surgeons significantly changed their treatment plans after receiving the fMRI findings. Surgeons also completed a postoperative questionnaire to confirm whether the post-fMRI plan was followed and to determine if fMRI findings affected surgical approach, the amount of time they spent in surgery and the surgical extent. The neurosurgeons who referred the patients for fMRI were given questionnaires to answer before and after fMRI to determine what effects, if any, the fMRI results had on their treatment plan. The entire procedure, including the time it took to train patients and acquire the images, took less than one hour. During the imaging exam, they performed sentence completion tasks to map areas of the brain involved in language function, and hand-squeezing tasks to detect sensory motor areas. In the current study, 39 patients diagnosed with potentially operable brain tumors were evaluated with fMRI of the brain. Additionally, more than 120 different types of brain tumors have been identified, making effective treatment planning difficult. In addition, surgical removal can be tricky because if key areas such as these are damaged, patients may experience postoperative symptoms such as limb weakness, language difficulties or partial blindness.Įach year, approximately 190,000 people are diagnosed with brain tumors in the United States, according to the National Brain Tumor Foundation. When brain tumors are located at the body's control center for thinking, sensation and movement, they can drastically affect a person's physical and cognitive abilities. Petrella, M.D., associate professor of radiology in the neuroradiology division at Duke. Justine Kenin, a producer for All Things Considered, contributed to this story."In patients who underwent fMRI, neurosurgeons estimated that more tumor was removed at surgery, operations were shorter and skull incisions were smaller, compared with what they would have had if the fMRI data were not available," said Jeffrey R. "He realized at that point that his brain had recovered completely," Pilcher says.įabbio's case is described in detail in a study published Thursday in the journal Current Biology. Then one day, about a month after his brain surgery, Fabbio was brushing his teeth and suddenly, the harmonies returned. But that stopped happening when his tumor showed up. "It made you want to cry."Īs a musician, Fabbio had long had a remarkable talent: As he brushed his teeth with an electric toothbrush, he would hear in his head melodies that harmonized with the hum of the toothbrush. "He played it flawlessly, and when he finished, the entire operating room erupted in applause," says Marvin. Out of concern that the deep breaths required for long notes could cause his brain to protrude from his skull, Fabbio and Marvin had chosen a Korean folk song and modified it so he could use shorter, shallower breaths. Lying on his side, he played a song he'd prepared for that moment. Once his tumor was removed, Fabbio was given his saxophone. University of Rochester Medical Center YouTube Since 2011, they've used the program to treat all kinds of patients with brain tumors: mathematicians, lawyers, a bus driver, a furniture maker. Web Pilcher, chair of the Department of Neurosurgery at the University of Rochester Medical Center, and his colleague Brad Mahon, a cognitive neuroscientist, had developed a brain mapping program. He's someone whose passion has been mapping the brain so he can help patients retain as much function as possible.ĭr. It was his passion as well as his profession. Unfortunately, it was located in a part of the brain known to be active when people listen to and make music.įabbio told his surgeon that music was the most important thing is his life.
When he was diagnosed with a brain tumor, he immediately worried about cancer.
Brain mapping procedure full#
A year after his surgery, Fabbio is back to work full time as a music teacher.ĭan Fabbio was 25 and working on a master's degree in music education when he stopped being able to hear music in stereo. After surgeons removed a tumor from Dan Fabbio's brain, they gave him his saxophone - to see whether he'd retained his ability to play.