Functional Neurosurgery Functional neurosurgery involves the restoration of neurological condition and function by neuromodulation. Common treatable conditions Movement Disorders, including Parkinson’s, tremor, dystonia, Tourette’s and hemifacial spasm Epilepsy Spasticity of cerebral origin (Multiple Sclerosis and spinal cord injury) Neuropsychiatric conditions, including obsessive-compulsive disorder and depression pain from neuropathic injuries or diseases, as well as malignant causes Trigeminal neuralgia, postherpetic neuralgia and nerve injuries. Techniques: Deep brain stimulation (DBS): Deep brain stimulation involves implanting electrodes within certain areas of the brain. These electrodes produce electrical impulses that regulate abnormal impulses. The amount of stimulation in deep brain stimulation is controlled by a pacemaker-like device placed under the skin in the upper chest. A wire that travels under the skin connects this device to the electrodes in the brain. Radiofrequency ablation(lesioning): In this technique, the identified areas of brain responsible for abnormal impulses are destroyed by a probe passed into the brain. The tip of the probe radiofrequency waves which destroy the abnormal cells by thermal injury. Micro vascular decompression: Conditions like trigeminal neuralgia, hemifacial spasms, glossopharyngeal neuralgia are caused by blood vessels coursing abnormally over a nerve causing a compression on them, these conditions can be treated by open surgeries where the course of blood vessel is altered there by releasing the compression and in turn relieving pain.
