Mapping the motor and sensory cortices: a historical look and a current case study in sensorimotor localization and direct cortical motor stimulation.

The utilization of cortical mapping during craniotomies for epilepsy and brain tumor resection is extremely important. Cortical mapping can guide the surgical team intraoperatively with regards to the layout of important anatomical structures and their function to prevent post-operative deficits. Electroneurophysiological methods employed include sensorimotor localization recorded directly from the surface of the brain when stimulated from a peripheral nerve and direct cortical stimulation (DCS) of the motor cortex to elicit a distal muscle response. This paper presents a case, in which a paradigm of neurophysiological modalities is utilized to assist the surgeon in creating a topographic map of the motor cortex and with localizing the sensory and motor cortices, in addition to a historical review of functional localization.