Clinical Functional MRI: Presurgical Functional Neuroimaging - Paperback

by Christoph Stippich (Editor), K. Sartor (Foreword by)

This text provides an overview of brain death. The topics explored in this book include the concept and historical approach of human death, clinical examinations of brain-dead patients, and ancillary tests in coma and brain death. The book also covers bioethical discussions of brain death and its relationship with some consciousness disturbances, and the legal considerations of human death. While there are several books devoted to the study of specific issues of brain death, this book covers almost all the issues.

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Functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) has contributed significantly to progress in neuroscience by permitting noninvasive imaging of the "human brain at work" under physiological conditions. Within clinical neuroimaging, fMRI is opening up a new diagnostic field by measuring and visualizing brain function. However, fMRI is not yet a standard diagnostic imaging procedure.

This textbook is devoted to preoperative fMRI in patients with brain tumors and epilepsies, which are the most well-established clinical applications. By localizing and lateralizing specific brain functions in individual patients, as well as epileptogenic zones, fMRI facilitates the selection of a safe treatment and the planning and performance of function-preserving neurosurgery.

State of the art fMRI procedures are presented, with detailed consideration of practical aspects, imaging and data processing, normal and pathological findings, and diagnostic possibilities and limitations. The relevant information on brain physiology, functional neuroanatomy, imaging technique, and methodology is provided by recognized experts in these fields. Further chapters address the validity of presurgical functional localization, multimodality functional neuroimaging, brain plasticity, and pitfalls, tips, and tricks. The book is designed to be of value to beginners, trained clinicians and experts alike.