Nutrition and the neurosurgical patient.

There has been a rapid expansion of knowledge in the field of nutrition and metabolism with regard to the general surgical patient. However, only recently has there been greater appreciation of the benefits of adequate nutrition and appropriate metabolic care of the neurosurgical patient. In this review, the authors attempt to outline 1) the metabolic response to stress in general, and how it applies to the neurosurgical patient; 2) how best to provide adequate nutritional support for the neurosurgical patient; 3) the effects of nutrition on neurotransmitters; and 4) the effect of diet and nutrition on patients with malignant brain tumors.