Water-based Imaging Maps Brain Neurons Before Surgery

Neurosurgeons at University of California (UC) San Diego Health System are using a new approach to visualize the brain’s anatomy prior to surgery, and no needles, dyes or chemicals are needed to create the radiology scan. Yet the technique allows neurosurgeons to see the brain’s nerve connections, thus preserving and protecting critical functions, such as vision, speech and memory. The main imaging ingredient? Water. While the technique, called tractography or diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), has been used for investigational and diagnostic purposes to better understand the effect of stroke and neurological disease, UC San Diego Health System neurosurgeons are applying this technology to guide brain tumor surgery. Click here to read the full article.