real-time brain mapping in the operating room or neuro monitoring unit
reduce hospital time and costs
CE certified and patented neurotechnology
cortiQ — rapid cortical mapping
cortiQ is a new way of brain mapping for the operating room and neuro monitoring unit that is used with epilepsy or brain tumor patients. cortiQ determines functional areas as those whose electrocorticographic (ECoG) activity increases with tasks such as motor movement or speech production. cortiQ allows neurologists and neurosurgeons to localize eloquent brain areas and provides additional information for surgical resection with a low risk of neurological deficits. cortiQ software can readily be used in addition to traditional mapping procedures such as electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) mapping or fMRI.
- real-time brain mapping in the operating room or neuro monitoring unit
- minimize hospital time and costs
- rapid mapping procedure
- customizable for individual surgical needs
- optimize surgical procedures
- reduce risks for patients
Diagnosis: Epilepsy or Brain Tumor
Epilepsy is a common neurological disorder that affects a large portion of the world population. Many of the affected people can control epileptic seizures with the use of medication, but for around 15–20% of this population, medication is not effective, and some of these patients choose surgery. Brain cancer is another reason for brain surgery. There are various types of brain tumors, and the aim of the surgery is to remove the tumor (or at least parts of it).
Treatment: Brain Surgery
For patients who suffer from epilepsy or brain tumors, brain surgery is often part of the treatment. However, the overall goal of brain surgery is to remove affected brain tissue causing as little damage as possible to the healthy and eloquent brain areas.
Brain Analysis: ECS and fMRI
Functional brain mapping of the cortex is an essential step when planning resective brain surgeries. Mapping techniques like electrical cortical stimulation (ECS) and functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) are well-established in clinical practice. However, these procedures have disadvantages, since ECS is time consuming, can trigger seizures, and fMRI is not always reliable.
Brain Analysis: ECoG
A passive brain mapping procedure based on electrocorticographic (ECoG) signals is a fast and precise mapping technique without the risk of causing pain or seizures. ECoG has repeatedly demonstrated that it can accurately identify cortical regions related to receptive and expressive language functions, motor functions and the somatosensory system in the brain. For that reasons, g.tec medical engineering developed the cortiQ rapid cortical mapping system.
Brain Mapping: cortiQ
cortiQ is a new rapid functional mapping technique of the cortex using the Electrocorticogram (EcoG) for patients who suffer from epilepsy with intractable seizure disorders or brain tumors. cortiQ helps surgeons identify functional brain regions with high-gamma activity before surgical resection. cortiQ maps the brain regions related to a certain task that the patient is performing. Neurosurgeons will be able to use and modify cortiQ paradigms based on individual surgical needs. For example, if pathological tissue is close to the motor area, cortiQ will ask the patient to move arms, feet or even lips. The brain activity patterns produced during these movements will be transmitted in real-time to cortiQ, notifying the neurosurgeon what parts are important for a certain movement and therefore should remain untouched.
Unlike ECS, cortiQ does not produce artificial seizures and cannot produce pain. However, ECS might be required in some cases. Therefore, cortiQ can identify neural areas that are “active” in a task decided by the surgeon and thereby provide a fast pre-screening mechanism that might be used for optimized ECS mapping and surgical removal of affected tissue.
cortiQ Mobile Mapping Service
cortiQ was created to optimize surgical procedures by minimizing the burden and risks for the patient, the time to prepare and perform the surgery, all this also resulting in a reduced hospital time and overall costs.
g.tec medical engineering offers a cortiQ mobile mapping service with patients during surgery or bedside at clinics.
Benefits for Neurosurgeons
cortiQ allows neurosurgeons to produce an individual real-time map (mental activity profile) for each patient and to plan surgery better, with more detailed information and less preparatory work. cortiQ maps cortical functions in neuro monitoring before the surgery and in the operating room during tumor or epilepsy resection.
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Benefits for Patients
cortiQ helps to reduce risk for patients because important “eloquent” brain areas get identified in order to avoid damage during the surgery. The procedure takes less hospital time and reduces surgery and recovery costs.
cortiQ Procedure
During brain surgery, invasive electrode grids are placed on the cortex covering the specific areas that need to be mapped.
The patient performs preprogrammed tasks, e.g. moving limbs, listening to a story, calculating or speaking, which support the neurosurgeon to get a better understanding of the individual functional regions of the brain.
cortiQ creates a real-time mapping of the brain, showing what brain areas are active during a specific task.
Finally, brain surgery can be prepared and performed safely in record time and with reduced costs.
Use Case: Bedside
The bedside case usually requires two surgeries. In the first surgery, electrodes will be implanted and functional real-time mappings are performed at the bedside. Validation with ECS can be done at the beside, too. In the second surgery, electrodes will be removed and the affected brain tissue will be resected.
Use Case: Awake Surgery
The awake surgery case is critical in time. First, a craniotomy is performed to implant the electrodes. Then functional real-time mappings are performed just before the brain tissue resection. Validation with ECS must be done during the surgery.
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cortiQ News
Face and Color Processing in the Human Brain
Publication in PNAS
cortiQ as an Innovative Method to Localize Function in the Human Brain
Lecture by Gerwin Schalk, PhD
How Can We Trick the Brain Into Seeing Rainbows and Faces?
published in
Frontiers for Young Minds
Functional Brain Mapping with cortiQ during Brain Surgery
Interview with Kyousuke Kamada, MD, PhD
High-Gamma Mapping with cortiQ
Interview with Gerwin Schalk, PhD
Medical Advisory Board and Users of cortiQ
The advisory board consists of international key experts in the fields of neuroscience, neurology and neurosurgery who are continuously contributing their experiences and clinical needs into the research, development and application of cortiQ rapid cortical mapping by using the system in their clinical and research environment. These experts have a crucial interest in optimizing surgical procedures and minimizing the numerous risks of brain surgery.
Kyosuke Kamada, MD, PhD
Hakushin Group Megumino Hospital
Sapporo, Japan
Milena Korostenskaja, PhD
Florida Hospital for Children
Orlando, USA
Gerwin Schalk, PhD
Albany Medical Center and Wadsworth
Research Center, Albany, USA
Adam Hebb, MD, PhD
St. Joseph's Hospital
Denver, USA
Kai Miller, MD, PhD
Mayo Clinic
Minnesota, USA
Anthony Ritaccio, MD, PHD
Mayo Clinic
Jacksonville, USA
worldwide
Yale-New Haven Hospital,
New Haven, USA
Boston Children's Hospital,
Epilepsy & Clinical Neurophysiology
Massachusetts, USA
Fondazione NeuroMed
Instituto Neurologico Mediterraneo
Pozilli, IItaly
Florida Hospital for Children,
Florida, USA
St. Joseph's Hospital
Denver, USA
g.tec medical engineering GmbH,
Schiedlberg, Austria
University of Berlin,
Brandenburg, Germany
g.tec medical engineering Spain
Barcelona, Spain
Albany Medical School,
Albany, New York, USA
g.tec neurotechnology USA
Albany, New York, USA
University of Michigan,
Department of Neurosurgery
Michigan, USA
Mayo Clinic
Minnesota, USA
Oregon Health & Science University
Department of Neurology and
Behavioral Neuroscience
Oregon, USA
Asahikawa Medical University,
Asahikawa, Japan
Hakushin Group Megumino Hospital,
Sapporo, Japan
Kindai University,
Osaka, Japan
Juntendo University,
Tokyo, Japan
Eastern China University,
Shanghai, China
Shanghai Jiao Tong University,
Shanghai, China
Xiamen University,
Fujian, China