The Clinical Neurophysiology Laboratory, under the direction of Parthasarathy Thirumala, MD, MS, studies the diagnostic value of intraoperative neuromonitoring (IONM) during surgery to detect perioperative neurological disorders like stroke, spinal cord, peripheral nerve injury, delirium and cognitive dysfunction. Neuromonitoring during surgery utilizes electroencephalography (EEG), somatosensory evoked potential (SSEP), motor evoked potentials (MEP), and electromyography (EMG). The focus of research is in three specific areas:
1) Preoperative Risk Assessment
We plan to develop preoperative risk assessment models so patients can utilize neuromonitoring in patients at risk for stroke during surgery. Patients who undergo non-cardiac, non-neurosurgery mortality after stroke are six times higher than mortality in patients with myocardial infarction.
2) Intraoperative Diagnosis
Our primary focus is to improve the diagnostic accuracy of SSEP, EEG, MEP, EMG in perioperative neurological disorders. In collaboration with Shyam Visweswaran, MD, PhD, and Kayhan Batmanghelich, PhD, we are developing novel patented methods to analyze real time neuromonitoring data to provide alerts.
3) Post Operative Management
We plan to study immediate interventions based on intraoperative diagnosis of stroke, spinal cord and peripheral nerve injury. For example, based on changes in EEG and SSEP during cardiac surgery, we can diagnose stroke and recommend interventions during surgery or immediately after the surgery.