Assessment of Eloquent Function in Brain Tumor Patients

• Eloquent function [ Time Frame: 1 year ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]
  The location of the eloquent function of interest (motor, sensory, speech) will be assessed pre-operatively and intra-operatively. These will be compared. Then, at 2 and 6 months post-operatively, repeat non-invasive mapping studies will be performed to compare to the subjects' prior studies. This will allow for assessment of reorganization and plasticity of function.
  
  

Any patient with a primary or metastatic brain tumor in or near an eloquent area would be eligible for participation in the study assuming no contraindications to any of the studies or operative procedure.

Pre-operative:

Evaluation will include clinical evaluation, neuropsychological testing, MRI brain with and without contrast, fMRI, DTI tractograms, and MEG studies as well as standard pre-operative work-up.

Intra-operative:

All non-invasive pre-operative mapping data will be incorporated into the operative procedure with the imaging tools that we routinely use during neurosurgical procedures. Patients will have awake mapping performed. Our usual standards of care will be followed during craniotomy, mapping, and tumor resection or biopsy.

Post-operative:

Patients will have routine post-operative care and assessment consisting of clinical examinations and imaging obtained within 24 hours post resection. They will have routine follow-up outpatient appointments after surgery which will include neurologic assessment and follow-up imaging (MRI with and without contrast) for their tumors as appropriate. The experimental portion of the protocol is incorporating repeat neuropsychological testing and mapping studies (fMRI, DTI, MEG) studies at 2 and 6 months post-surgery into their routine follow-up.