Some Innovations in Human Stereoencephalotomy

Abstract

Some procedures of intracerebral surgery with minimal trauma may be accomplished by introducing electrodes within the brain substance with the aid of stereotaxic instruments. A new instrument is descr. which has the following innovations: (1) use of an optical rather than a mechanical technique for alignment to the standard reference planes; (2) utilization of the teeth and their supporting structures as a means of rigid fixation of the instrument; (3) modification of standard cephalo-metric roentgenographic procedures to show comparative localization of multilead electrodes placed within the brain and to contribute anthropometric information on craniocerebral relationship; and (4) intracerebral implantation of multilead electrodes for eeg. recording, electrical stimulation, and therapeutic focal electrocoagulation. The instrument is comfortable for the patient and may be used without anesthesia.