The nation's first brain mapping tool, connectomics/Quicktome, was introduced by Delhi's IBS Hospital.
With the development of such individualised brain mapping, brain surgery and other types of cancer therapy have become considerably safer, and because of the accuracy, harm to crucial brain regions can be avoided.
This is an example of a medical science advance in preoperative imaging that makes use of cutting-edge algorithms and cloud computing. Precision neurosurgery may become a viable procedure thanks to this new technology.
“While some of the brain networks alone explain their namesake function entirely, most complex functions are the result of inter-network interactions. Deeper analysis delineates specific sub-networks responsible for specific tasks, comprising subcomponents of often multiple main networks,” said Dr Sachin Kandhari, Neurosurgeon and Managing Director at the IBS Hospital.
According to Kandhari, brain networks control everything from language to movement to thought, and the maps guide surgical judgement in order to safeguard and maintain brain function. He said that this ground-breaking technology is opening the way to not only potentially treat a wide range of pre- and post-operative brain-related conditions, but also to restore normal brain function.
From a regular, non-invasive MRI scan, Quicktome employs powerful algorithms to evaluate millions of data points and create a brain map that is unique to each patient. The maps, which medical professionals can see on their computers, provide anatomical detail that is generally not available in a clinical setting, enabling surgeons to incorporate cutting-edge brain network research into neurosurgical planning.
“Such data and the ability, with modern technology, to digitally model a patient’s brain network is already paving the way for incredible advances in neurological and neuropsychiatric care, and leading a charge for personalised brain treatment. Additionally, the brain network maps offer extensive opportunities for advancement in neurosurgery. Neurosurgeons can now operate on a patient with greater certainty about the areas of the brain used for dominant network function. Steps can then be taken to preserve these important functional areas and their connections,” he added.
For example, a mental disease need not be a vague condition that must be identified through patient history and interview; instead, these brain network biomarkers can precisely identify the regions of an anomaly and provide instantaneous quantitative data to help in deciding on a course of therapy.
Parvathy Sukumaran 
