What is Functional Neurosurgery?

Functional neurosurgery is  a neurosurgical procedure that aims to improve the quality of life and symptoms of patients with chronic neurological disorders. It involves surgically targeting specific anatomic structures in the brain, spinal cord, or nerves to modulate neurological function.

Functional neurosurgery can involve:

Creating lesions: Making small, well-circumscribed lesions in the brain
Neuromodulation: Implanting brain or nerve stimulation devices

Functional neurosurgery is used to treat a variety of disorders, including:

Parkinson’s disease, Chronic pain, Spasticity, Other movement disorders, Epilepsy, and Psychiatric disorders.

Functional neurosurgery has become one of the fastest growing fields in neurosurgery due to advances in medical technology, such as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and deep brain stimulation (DBS).

Symptoms

Functional neurosurgery is a treatment for chronic neurological disorders that can cause a variety of symptoms, including:

Movement problems: Such as tremors, spasticity, or paralysis
Pain: Such as chronic migraine or trigeminal neuralgia, a rare disorder that causes sudden, severe facial pain
Cognitive problems: Such as difficulty with cognitive function
Speech difficulties: Such as stuttering or trouble speaking
Vision or hearing problems: Such as problems with vision or hearing
Dizziness: Such as dizziness
Weakness: Such as weakness, especially in emergency situations
Seizure-like episodes: Such as seizure-like episodes
Extreme slowness and fatigue: Such as extreme slowness and fatigue

When to see a doctor?

See a doctor if you experience sudden weakness, confusion, vision problems, difficulty walking, tremors, stiffness, unexplained shaking, loss of consciousness, persistent pain, or severe changes in mood or behavior that don’t improve with treatment. Immediate medical attention is crucial for proper diagnosis and care.