Microsurgical anatomy of language.

The localizationist model, which focused on classical cortical areas such as Broca's and Wernicke's, can no longer explain how language processing works. Over recent years, several studies have revealed new language-related cortical and subcortical areas, resulting in a transition from localizationist concepts to a hodotopical model. These studies have described language processing as an extensive and complex network of multiple interconnected cortical areas and subcortical pathways, differing from the classical circuit described by the localizationist perspective. The hodotopical model was made possible by a paradigm shift in the treatment of cerebral tumors, especially low-grade gliomas: total or subtotal tumor resections with cortical and subcortical mapping on awake patients have become the gold standard treatment for lesions located in the dominant hemisphere. In this article, we review current understating of the microsurgical anatomy of language.

Analysis of Legal, Cultural, and Socioeconomic Parameters in Low-Grade Glioma Management: Variability Across Countries and Implications for Awake Surgery.

Low-grade glioma (LGG) usually occurs in young patients who enjoy an active family, social, and professional life. Because awake surgery for patients with LGG has resulted in significant improvement in both functional and oncological outcomes and because the surgery per se is not very expensive, it is currently performed in many countries worldwide. Nonetheless, in addition to the necessity of tailoring the surgical strategy to the patient (e.g., neurological and cognitive status) and tumor (e.g., brain location and volume) characteristics, the legal, cultural, and socioeconomic parameters could also play a key role in the therapeutic strategy. These include clear information to the patient and relatives during the first meeting, the adapted selection of tasks for awake mapping, and active collaboration of the patient throughout the resection and during the early postoperative rehabilitation. In the present study, our goal was to analyze these socioenvironmental aspects, which have been neglected for many decades, in LGG management, with a special emphasis on epilepsy and the awake procedure. These criteria are relevant with respect to the diagnosis, surgery, functional remediation, and long-term follow-up for patients who now benefit from a longer life expectancy. However, although such factors are essential to resume an active life, including returning to work, they vary greatly across countries. Therefore, they should be considered more systematically to allow for greater reproducibility of results of awake surgery worldwide.

Displasias Corticais / Cortical Dysplasias

Este artigo revisa bases fisiopatológicas e classificação das displasias corticais. Enfocamos a importância do diagnóstico precoce, através dos métodos clássicos e novos. Além disso, abordamos as terapêuticas existentes e as situações em que devem ser utilizadas.